State-run EESL to procure 10K electric cars for various ministries

EESL has floated a tender for procurement of 10,000 electric cars under FAME scheme

State-run firm Energy Efficiency Service Ltd (EESL) has floated a tender for procuring 10,000 electric cars and 4,000 chargers for coal, mines, power and new & renewable energy ministries as well as for providing them on rent to other departments.

EESL has floated a tender for procurement of 10,000 electric cars including complete system warranty under the faster adoption and manufacturing of electric vehicles in India (FAME) scheme of the ministry of new & renewable energy.

According to the tender, 3,000 AC (alternate current) or slow charger's and 1,000 DC (Direct Current) fast charger's compatible with Bharat AC-001 and DC-001 charger specification would be procured.

The tender is part of the government's plan to promote electric vehicles in the country in a big way.

In April, Power, Coal, Mine, New & Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal had said that India would sell only electric vehicles by 2030.

Earlier this month he had admitted however that it may take a little longer to replace existing petrol and diesel vehicles in the country.

"Only electric cars by 2030...Existing cars may take a little longer to replace. But the government is working on a framework to see what we can do on promoting electric vehicle. Niti Aayog is currently tasked with preparing futuristic vision for electric vehicles," Goyal had said.

On hybrid cars, he had said, "It reduced fuel consumption a little bit but the future is all electric cars. I had also recommended to the finance minister that it is not advisable for an intermediate technology which reduces the fuel consumption by a little bit but otherwise that is not the future, the future is all electric cars."

Talking about lobbying for hybrid cars he said, "It is a campaign being run by those companies who don't have electric vehicles. These companies have come to me also to convince not to oppose hybrid cars. The world is moving towards electric vehicles and the country would promote electric vehicles.