Let Us Call It What It Is: Green Auto Show 2023 Of the 14 unveilings on the Day 2 of the mega event, 11 were by pure electric vehicle (EV) players and a walk around the 15 halls at the Show shows a common thread running through each of them: sustainability
By Saurabh Kumar •
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Hall number 15 at the Auto Show 2023 has quite a unique ambience this year. In one corner stands a scaled-down wind turbine, a curious décor piece. Real trees have been generously placed. And all the vehicles on display run on electric, save one which is a hydrogen-powered multipurpose vehicle.
This is the pavilion of MG India. The UK-born company unveiled its Drive Ahead vision for the future of mobility. In total, the company this year showcased 14 production-ready cars, all of which are green vehicles.
"We continue to uphold the principle of coexistence of people, environment and vehicles," said Rajeev Chaba, president and MD of MG India, while showcasing Euniq 7, which uses hydrogen fuel cell technology.
Of the 14 unveilings on the Day 2 of the mega event, 11 were by pure electric vehicle (EV) players and a walk around the 15 halls at the Show shows a common thread running through each of them: sustainability.
The 11 include Sun Mobility, Omega Seiki Mobility, Jupiter Electric Mobility, Ward Wizard Innovations & Mobility, MTA e-mobility, Motovolt Mobility, Godavari Electric Motors, Binelli-Keeway and Ultra Violet.
The 16th edition of the Show—organised in a geography where the air quality has been hazardous for the past few days—stands out for its commitment to green mobility.
Tata Motors, known for their diesel-guzzling heavy-duty trucks, has also put on display the new hydrogen ICE-powered concept truck Tata Prime H.55S. While unveiling the beast, Girish Wagh, group executive director at Tata Motors, said the company plans to be a leader in decarbonisation and a net-zero firm by 2045.
In total, Tata Motors unveiled 14 new products run on one or the other green technology: natural gas, battery electric, fuel-agnostic, hydrogen cell electric and hydrogen cell ICE categories. "At the group level, we are driving sustainability through three pillars: commitment to zero emission, commitment to circular economy, and to preserve natural biodiversity,"said N. Chandrasekaran, executive chairman, Tata Sons and chairman of Tata Motors.
According to Chetan Maini, co-founder and vice-chairman at Sun Mobility, by 2030, some vehicle segments will be 100 per cent electric and others maybe 40 per cent. "It is absolutely clear that the industry is moving towards green mobility," he said. The company launched SwapX, a fully automated battery-swapping solution, and the next generation battery pack S2.1, which claims to offer 45 per cent more range than earlier variants.
During the Winter Session of Parliament, minister of heavy industries MahendraNath Pandey informed the Lok Sabha that as on 9 December 2022, 64 original equipment manufacturers of EVs have been registered and around 747,000 EVs under the FAME India Phase II have been sold. The scheme is being implemented for a period of five years, starting 1 April 2019 with a budgetary support of INR 10,000 crore.
"The consumers are finding it much cooler. Apart from siding the environment, it makes economic sense as well. And once economic sense is established in India, there is no stopping the technology," said Maini, further emphasising the role of sustainability in the future of mobility.
