<b>Vandana Gombar:</b> Are we serious about e-cars?

The electric vehicle market in India needs a policy push that goes beyond targets

India has a power surplus, and a pollution problem. Zero-emission electric vehicles could use the excess power to provide mobility and also ensure that the air is cleaner. There is a target to see anywhere from five to seven million electric vehicles on the road by 2020, including "mild" hybrid electric vehicles, strong hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles. However, the numbers so far do not inspire much confidence.

Sales of electric vehicles totalled some 21,000 units last year, of which over 95 per cent were two-wheelers, according to the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV). Hybrid