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Guwahati: The electric vehicle (EV) boom can't seem to wait to get underway and it appears Guwahati has a front seat to the 'future.'
Business North East visited the North East Renewable Energy & Electric Vehicle Expo 2024 which brought potential buyers, investors, and policymakers to the same stage to plot an EV future. This unique expo was held from January 21-23 at the Sarusajai stadium in the city.
We discovered that purchasing an EV does not merely mean opting for a luxury car. Would-be autorickshaw owners also have the option.
Olee Das, Chief Financial Officer of Kumar Engineering, a firm selling e-autos, said they have the edge as their autos come equipped with disc brakes. "We are also very efficient at after-sales service; our e-rickshaws carry five batteries and they come with double headlights", Das, told Business North East on the sidelines of the EV expo. Kumar has also introduced goods vehicles that can carry up to 500 kg. While the goods carriers cost around Rs 1.7 lakh, the passenger carriers come for close to Rs 2 lakh.
On the other side of the spectrum, the EV Mercedes sought to target high-end customers. While the top models cost upwards of Rs 1 crore, the starting range is around Rs 70 lakh.
"The most popular Mercedes-Benz Electric cars are Mercedes-Benz EQS (Rs. 1.62 crore), Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV (Rs. 1.39 crore), and Mercedes-Benz EQB (Rs. 74.50 Lakh)", a spokesperson for the company mentioned to Business North East.
For those looking for more affordable options, the MG Motor Comet (Rs 7.98 lakh – Rs 9.98 lakh), Tata Tiago EV (Rs 8.69 lakh — Rs 12.04 lakh), Citroen eC3 (Rs 11.61 lakh – Rs 12.49 lakh), and Tata Tigor EV (Rs 12.49 lakh — Rs 13.75 lakh) can be considered.
Sumit Das, the founder of Assam start-up Bikojee Ecotech Private Limited which uses e-scooters as as bike taxis, explained why the running cost of an electric vehicle is much lower than an equivalent petrol or diesel vehicle.
"Firstly, using electricity instead of fossil fuels is much cheaper. Using renewable energy sources can make the use of electric vehicles more eco-friendly. The electricity cost can be reduced further if charging is done with the help of renewable energy sources installed at home, such as solar panels", he suggested.
He further pointed out that EVs have a lower maintenance cost because they don’t have as many moving parts as an internal combustion vehicle. "The servicing requirements are lesser than the conventional petrol or diesel vehicles. Hence, the yearly cost of running an electric vehicle is expressively low", said Das.
The Expo was inaugurated by Assam cabinet minister Ashok Singhal, who highlighted the remarkable achievements in India's solar capacity and shared that key agreements have been signed for the development of stalled hydroelectric projects in Arunachal Pradesh, further contributing to India's prominent position globally in renewable energy.
