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ISSN 2063-5346
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“REDUCING GREEN GAP”- AN EMPIRICAL STUDY TO EXPLORE THE ADOPTION OF ELECTRIC CARS AMONG CONSUMERS IN KERALA

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Sabana Backer1* , Dr. Prasanth A.P2
» doi: 10.48047/ecb/2023.12.si5a.0126

Abstract

“India adds 678 new public EV charging stations between October-January, 2022” reports Economic Times. The sales of Electric vehicles especially two-wheelers & three-wheelers have rocketed in the year 2021- 22. The companies like Hero, Bajaj, TVS & Ola Electric have set aggressive plans in EV manufacturing of 10 million annually. Other two-wheeler companies like Simple One, Bounce, Okinawa Autotech are trailing behind trying to increase sales to two million. The prices of the twowheelers & three-wheelers have also reduced making it more acceptable among public. However, the demand pick up of four-wheeler EV vehicles is much slower. Tata & Morris Garages is gaining popularity with its Nexon, Tigor & ZS EV models respectively. Premium car segments like Mercedes, Audi, and BMW are also selling electric cars in India but they are not targeting big volumes of sales in the near future. Maruti – Toyota alliance is expected to be a game changer in this industry setting up a platform for the global market. Maruti has the advantage of having India’s first lithiumion cell manufacturing plant since these batteries have huge cost. Hence sales of EVs are gaining momentum in India & it is expected to trigger an entirely new category of business to cater to this new segment mainly charging stations & batteries. International Players like ABB, Panasonic & TATA are aiming to put up charging stations in highways & cities. In this context where EV industry is gearing up for dramatic change it is highly relevant to examine the status of EV Industry in Kerala. EV has zero emission & they are a great solution to combat climate change. According to Economic Times, the state of Kerala has been at the forefront compared to other states in India in embracing green mobility solutions for public transportation & launched the first LNG Bus & solar ferry in India. Despite all the government initiatives & skyrocketing fuel prices, Electric cars are not so fast moving in Kerala. Despite all the government initiatives & skyrocketing fuel prices, EVs are not so fast moving in Kerala. In the year 2020, the Kerala government proposed many special incentives to 10,000 beneficiaries to promote the usage of e- rickshaws, but even after two years of constant promotions, there are only less than 1000 takers.

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