17th EV Expo 2023, India’s largest and most comprehensive trade show on Evs opened
As predicted by experts, the world's oil reserves may run out by 2052, and natural gas by 2060: Rajiv Arora, Organizer, EV EXPO 2023
Hyderabad, February 08, 2023: 17th EV Expo 2023, India’s largest and the most comprehensive trade show on Evs opened in the city at Hitex. It opened to the public without any inaugural formalities. . It is a three-day show that will go on till 10th February. Organised by Delhi-based Auto Solutions Pvt. Ltd, it is an eco-friendly Electric Vehicle Technology Expo. It is India’s largest and most comprehensive trade show. The EVEXPO is supported by the Govt. of Telangana, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. of India, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna(PMKVY), Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), and ICAT (International Centre for Automotive Technology). It is held from 8th February to 10th for 3 days.
The expo has 40 stalls, showcasing their technologically advanced, pollution- free 2,3, 4 wheeled e-vehicles like E-Rickshaws, E-Carts, E-bikes, E-scooters, E-bicycles, E-Loaders as well as 4 wheeled vehicles at EV-EXPO 2023. The latest Lithium-ion batteries, charging solutions, vehicle components and accessories are also going to be showcased at the Expo.
Some of the exhibitors include HAWK EV, Altius EV Tech, Soni E Vehicles, Saera Electric Electric Auto, The Automotive Research Association of India(ARAI) and others.
Mr Anuj Sharma, Chairman of, the Electric Vehicle Committee, Govt. of India and Founder of EV Expo said “Due to the vast requirement of hydrocarbon-based fuel which is used in the majority of vehicles in India, we are spending a huge amount of Forex in importing crude oil. There is an
urgent need for electric vehicles to reduce our dependence on crude oil. At the same time, there is a need to develop indigenous technology to cater to the entire ecosystem of Electric Vehicles in India to suit our climate and needs. Govt. is providing incentives and coming out with new measures to encourage adoption of the EV technology by the industry as well as the consumers.
We are organizing this Expo so that the manufacturers of E-vehicles, batteries and charging stations, as well as service providers of the EV ecosystem, get a platform to showcase their latest products and services”
Speaking to the media immediately after inauguration, Mr Rajiv Arora, Organizer, EV EXPO 2023 informed that according to various estimates, the world’s oil reserves will run out by 2052, natural gas by 2060 and coal by 2090. Then what will happen to all vehicles that run on fossil fuels?
So the only alternative is Electric Vehicles. All vehicles should turn EVs by then. India’s domestic electric vehicle market will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 49% between 2022 and 2030 and will see one crore units in annual sales by 2030. This is because now all governments are focusing on the EVs sector, he said.
Telangana is one such state very proactive on this subject. I understand according to TSREDO(Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation Ltd), they are working on the ecosystem for the EV sector to flourish. They are even setting up 20 charging stations each in all districts of the state, shared Mr Rajiv Arora. In north India, there is an EV charging station on national highways for every 25 km.
The biggest encouraging factor of an EV is the cost of running the vehicle, which is about 20 per cent ( or less) of the cost of using a petrol or diesel one. Even servicing also does cost much, he shared.
When asked about fears people have about the safety of the batteries of EVs Rajiv said, the new AIS-038 (for four-wheelers) and AIS-156 (two- and three-wheelers) standards introduced by the ministry under the Central Motor Vehicle Rules and a separate set of rules on human safety by heavy industries have to be implemented by 1 April 2023. These new set of rules will ensure more safety. In the event of a fire, there will be a buzzer so there is no personal harm.
The way things are improving we will be able to see 50% of two-wheelers plying on by the end of this year will be EVs. Delhi and Rajasthan Governments have already made EV vehicles mandatory for all delivery platforms like Swiggy, Zomato and e-Commerce platforms. Flipkart, Amazon, Zomato and others also have partnered with the Delhi government to deliver via electric vehicles, Rajiv Arora shared.
Retrofitting old vehicles into EVs is the new normal now. Internal combustion engine to electric vehicle retrofitting is picking up shares with Sirish and Anupam, Directors of Bangalore of HAWK EV and one of the exhibitors. As per the new vehicle scrappage policy 2021 announced, private cars that are older than 20 years and commercial vehicles older than 15 years will be deregistered. The vehicles that pass the test can be re-registered. But those vehicles failing the test need to be scrapped. By EV retrofitting these vehicles, their life span can be expanded further. And we are the only ones in India doing this. Since 2021, when we pioneered this service, we have retrofitted over 350 vehicles. Most of these vehicles are defence vehicles, Madhya Pradesh Forest Department Vehicles. We are also in talks with Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation to retrofit their buses.
Soon we are foraying into the Telangana market, shared Sirish and Anupam.
The average cost of retrofitting old vehicles to EVs is likely to be in the range of Rs 5 to 7 lakhs for 4-wheelers. While the average cost of an electric four-wheeler is about Rs 15 lakh. Retrofitting an existing old vehicle costs below 7 to 8 lakh depending on the vehicle and the model. Any high ed care also can be retrofitted. The response for the local market is very good and we are very confident of doing good business.
There is a bright future for retrofitting. All school buses, University buses can go for retrofitting. We are also in talks with Mallareddy Group of Institutions in Telangana to retrofit all their vehicles, Sirish and Anupam added.
