Industry not against govt's electric mobility plans: Siam

Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam) on Monday said the industry is not against the government's electric mobility plans. The government is aiming for an ell-electric vehicle fleet in the country by 2030. 

“The automobile industry welcomes the prospect of electric mobility. But electric mobility is not happening tomorrow. It will take years but we need to start moving in that direction. The end-game is electric mobility,” Abhay Firodia, president, Siam, said. Siam plans to present a white paper to the government on electric vehicles and that paper will become a basis for the industry's dialogue with the government, Firodia, who is also the chairman of Force Motors, said.

The government has also given electric vehicles priority over hybrids by deciding to tax electric vehicles at a 12 per cent rate under GST while taxing hybrids at 28 per cent and leving a cess of 15 per cent. “Hybrid is not a necessary step to electric mobility,” he said. Firodia said that electric mobility will pose challenges to the industry, its investments and the employment but gains will outweigh.