India wants to revolutionize its transportations system by 2030: the country, in fact, wants to become the first big world power where all the cars on its roads are electric.
Last year, the country set a planetary record of 1,200 micrograms per cubic metre of fine particulate matter in the air. India is one of the most polluted countries in the world. Moreover, India has a problem with car accidents: every day 410 people dies for this reason.
There are two different views about this idea: Piyush Goyal the Energy Minister of India said that the transition (from vehicles with the combustion engine to electric cars) could be self-financing. In fact any financial outlay could ultimately be covered by savings made at the petrol pump. This theory has been rejected by car makers who have pointed out that electric car batteries currently still cost around €8,700.
According to the ministry’s calculations, phasing out completely the internal combustion engine would reduce the country’s €60bn national fuel bill to zero and reduce CO2 emissions by a trillion tonnes. It would be one of the biggest revolution this world has ever seen. And this suggestion could save the life of 1.8 million Indians who dies every year due to diseases caused directly by air pollution.