Minister Nitin Gadkari Confirms That All Buses In India Will Be Entirely Electric By 2021

Amidst the Indian government’s constant push to boost the country’s electric vehicle ecosystem, Nitin Gadkari-the Minister of Road Transport and Highways has emphasized the efforts to deploy more electric buses. The Minister stated that by 2021, all the buses in India will be entirely electric.

The agenda is to replace fossil fuel with an alternate fuel source to lower the country’s level of pollution.

The minister also talked about how other cleaner fuel sources such as methanol, ethanol, and bio-CN will be used. All of the efforts are made for the ultimate goal which is to cut down the country’s fuel imports.

The government has taken varied measures to make the transition to EVs a reality. Just recently, Niti Aayog-the government think tank submit a proposal to set a deadline for discontinuing 2 and 3 wheelers run on petrol and diesel by 2023 and 2025. The idea was to push the auto manufacturers towards making more EVs while phasing out the fossil fuel ones.

However, the OEMs objected to the proposal, urging the government to reject the idea, citing the recent IC engine vehicles which they had to develop to meet the BS-VI emission norms that will be in effect in 2020.

Gadkari has cleared the matter, saying that, the transition to EVs requires no such ban. He said that it is not necessary to make EVs mandatory or banning vehicles run on petrol and diesel. The government’s take will be creating more incentives for EV makers, as stated in the FAME II scheme.

Gadkari is feeling optimistic about the EVs transition, saying that soon India will be the manufacturing hub for electric and alternative fuels vehicles.