What if Haryana turned its streets into a sphere of clean and quiet mobility, with every car on the road being electric and emission free?
It’s possible, and it’s possible much sooner than we think. Haryana, also known as India’s automobile capital, has already made EV (electric vehicle) adoption easier with its 2022 EV policy, but now the state is looking at new national schemes like PM E-DRIVE which offer great aid in insight.
With just two years left for the five year plan to end, the only thing left to answer is, is Haryana ready to pioneer India’s EV revolution?
With such an unprecedented aid, it looks like the state can make it happen.
The reason why this needs to happen is quite simple, the ever increasing pollution and the soaring prices of petrol will make this adoption very urgent.
With this, Haryana does find themselves at an intersection. Without this contest, allowing a simple do or die situation where adopting EV changes help me solve for a sustainable future. Now is the perfect time for Haryana to shift towards clean transportation.
Let’s have a look at four revolutionary proposals that can transform the mobility ecosystem in Haryana and improve the quality of life of its citizens.
More Charging Stations – Turning Range Anxiety Into Confidence
What do you do in case your electric vehicle suddenly starts running out of battery while you’re cruising along NH44? Where can you find the nearest charging station, and more importantly, will it work for your vehicle? For lots of potential EV buyers, this emotion of not having enough charge, popularly known as range anxiety, is sufficient to turn them off the deal.
Charging infrastructure is the roadblock in Haryana’s EV policy, which mentions installation of public charging stations but has made very little progress. The state must be inspired by global leaders like Norway, which has fast charging stations every 50 km on their highways.
Norway also has one of the highest ratios of chargers to vehicles, boasting 30 public chargers for every 1,000 electric vehicles. This is how trust in EVs is built.
For Haryana, the solution lies in scaling up standardized high speed charging networks in urbanized city clusters such as Gurugram and Faridabad as well as on major highways.
This coupled with central government incentives under PM E-DRIVE and state subsidies for home and office chargers can be transformational. Waking up to a fully charged electric vehicle every morning without having to set foot in a gas station is the vision that Haryana should strive toward.
As specialists noted at the India Clean Transportation Summit 2024, It’s not only about constructing chargers, it is about enabling ownership of EVs to be so economical that it is chosen by default.
Boosting EV Manufacturing Towards Building Haryana’s Future
Haryana is already well marketed for its proximity to critical markets, great roads and infrastructure, and skilled workforce. Now, imagine world-class EV manufacturing plants and research centers being erected there. It’s not a dream; it is well within reach.
By setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) for EV manufacturing, Haryana can easily get investments from Indian conglomerates and global businesses looking to make use of India’s growing EV sector. These zones will provide tax exemptions, faster customs procedures, and elite level infrastructure which is perfect for businesses that seek to advance.
But here is the most interesting part: working with local universities and technical institutes to create research and development hubs that target next generation battery technology and economical EV parts.
Such public-private partnership can yield results that would benefit the nation as a whole, not just Haryana. Tesla moving its headquarters to North India comes to mind.
Financial Incentives That Work Making EVs Affordable for Everyone
Even the most environmentally concerned consumer may think twice when an EV feels like it is too expensive. Hence, broadening the financial incentives is important. Haryana does provide exemption of registration fees and road taxes, but there is so much more that can be done.
Like the US, UK, and China, where banks specially cater low-interest loans to EV purchasers, the state can learn from them. EVs would become more affordable to middle-class families if repayment periods were longer and more flexible.
It would also be prudent to set aside a part of the State Transport Fund to create a ‘Financial Risk Management Fund’ that could assist in subsidizing purchase costs, charging infrastructure development, and providing incentives such as free parking or lowered toll fees.
Measures like these will aid fleet operators and small-scale businesses that depend on vehicles intensively. Wouldn’t you want to make the switch to an EV if it did become cheaper than maintaining a petrol car?
Smarter Rules – Cleaner Cities, Greener Buildings
Can you imagine Bustling Gurugram or even Faridabad being transformed to a cleaner, more quiet place to live in? Enter LEZs or Low Emission Zones. This is a restriction zone to limit the entrance of highly polluting vehicles which is already in use in several parts of Europe.
This point was brought up during a recent meeting held by ICCT and Haryana’s Transport Department. The Winter Action Plan for 2024-25 included it, but it is still pending. We need to jump on this.
Another example would be charging ports being introduced in new buildings in the form of e-mobility enabled structures. It also makes sense to require a government fleet to adopt electric vehicles within a specific timeframe.
These aren’t a small change in laws, they seem like a breath of fresh air and a step towards a healthier population.
A Brighter Future for Haryana
If Haryana sets out to pursue its EV Vision, it has the potential to reap grand benefits. First, with cleaner air, there will be a reduction in health issues and a considerable decline in premature deaths due to pollution.
Moreover, there will be new job opportunities across the EV value chain, including manufacturing and maintenance. Finally, by establishing Haryana as a leader in EV technology, it will further strengthen its position as an innovation hub not just in India but across the world.
This isn’t just about completing checkboxes, it is about ensuring a sustainable future for the coming generations. Cleaner air contributes towards healthy lives, more jobs translates to development of the economy, and the state has the potential of becoming a leader in EVs and putting itself on the map as the state that had the capabilities to dream big.
Will Haryana be able to respond to the call?
There isn’t much time left, but what needs to be done is pretty straightforward. Haryana can spearhead India towards an electrified tomorrow, with bold leadership, strategic investment and unfiltered determination.
