With zero tailpipe emissions, electric vehicles are widely regarded as a green mode of transportation. But critics have long pointed to the ‘dirty’ power—obtained from burning coal—to manufacture these vehicles, especially in developing countries like India. They have argued that the shift to EVs does not kill emissions, it simply shifts them to another industry.
A recent study by the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur suggests that these critics may have a point. The study, which analyzed emissions from different types of vehicles in different scenarios, concluded that EVs pollute less than petrol vehicles, but they have higher emissions than hybrid vehicles – which use both petrol and electricity. We do.
It also found that electric vehicles made in India cause 35% more greenhouse gas emissions than any hybrid vehicle made in the country, and at least 40% more than any petrol car made here.
Based on these findings, the institute recommended that the government expand incentives and subsidies for hybrid vehicles to electric vehicles. Currently, EVs attract only 5% GST while hybrids are taxed at 20% – at par with conventional petrol or diesel vehicles. Large hybrid vehicles attract an additional 15% cess.
“If the government gives equal subsidies to HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) and BEVs (battery electric vehicles), HEVs will be more economically viable,” said the report authored by Dr Avinash Kumar Agarwal of the institute’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. “The LCA results proved that HEVs have an edge over BEVs and ICEVs in lifecycle GHG emissions, indicating they are more environmentally sustainable.”
This goes against the basic premise of government policies over the past few years, which have encouraged EVs over all other vehicles. But the IIT Kanpur study is not the final word on the subject. Other similar institutions have shown dramatically different results.
A widely circulated study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) in 2021 found that even with a dirty grid, where more than half of electricity is generated by burning coal, lifetime emissions from BEVs are 19 times higher than internal emissions. was -34% less- combustion engine vehicles. The Kanpur IIT study, on the other hand, equated both types of emissions. In fact, it has been said that BEVs have higher overall emissions if they are driven for less than 35,000 kilometers over their lifetime.
The global automotive industry is currently divided over the future of electric vehicles. European carmakers, which performed a quick pivot after the Dieselgate scandal of 2015, have been unequivocal in their support for EVs. He found a ready ally in China, the world’s largest automobile producer. Meanwhile, Japan was caught flat footed. This is ironic, considering its position as a leader in hybrid vehicles in the 1990s, when Toyota launched the Prius. The transition to fully electric has been slow, with carmakers such as Toyota, Daihatsu, Honda and Suzuki still keen to fully exploit the hybrid technology they’ve perfected over the past three decades.
Where are the others standing? The US and India are on neutral grounds and have no specific bias towards either technology, but market developments have started tilting the scales in favor of EVs. Tesla’s success and faster timelines for pure-play BEVs by German and American carmakers have led to sales growing rapidly in North America.
In India, the government long back voiced its support for EVs and announced incentives under the FAME policy. However, most of it focused on two-wheelers and three-wheelers and shared mobility. Japanese carmakers hold a significant share of the market – Suzuki, Honda and Toyota together account for about 60% – and carry a lot of weight with the government. In contrast European car makers have less than 10% of the market. Two Korean carmakers – Hyundai and Kia, are largely technology-agnostic. It is the Japanese carmakers who are pushing the push for hybrid technology. They have already launched a few products, but some exemptions in terms of taxation will strengthen their hold. So far, the government has resisted the request.
The role of two domestic carmakers – Tata and Mahindra – is crucial here. Both the companies are adamant that hybrid is a stop-gap arrangement and has no role in the long term. He argues that hybrids tend to be more complex with both the engine and the battery, and less efficient than pure EVs. They are even less beneficial to the consumer, he says, and do not need to be encouraged.
While a single study is not enough to sway regulators one way or the other, if more research produces results similar to the IIT Kanpur study, hybrid vehicles may get a new lease of life in India.
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