A delegation of UK e-mobility experts is visiting India
15 to 19 July, as part of a UK-India knowledge exchange programme
on electric mobility.
This follows a similar visit by a delegation of Indian government
officials to the UK last month.
Representatives from the UK government, together with a mix of
private sector organisations, are on a week-long visit to Mumbai,
Pune and Hyderabad, culminating with a workshop on 19 July in New
Delhi focused on state- and city-led initiatives to scale up
electric mobility markets in India. The visit is part of a
scoping project exploring future partnerships with India on
electric mobility. Delegates will discuss how to bolster charging
infrastructure development, grid management, renewable energy
integration, grid impact assessment, fleet transition programmes,
pilots, vehicle to grid systems and city level planning.
Increasing the uptake of electric vehicles will require a
transformational change to the transport and mobility sectors.
The UK and India are helping to drive that transformation through
continued knowledge exchange and joint development of innovative
solutions for sustainable and zero emission mobility.
The British High Commissioner to India, Sir Dominic Asquith,
said:
Pioneering work on e-mobility is taking place in both India and
the UK. Whilst local needs may vary, the challenges we face are
similar. Innovative technologies, practices and ideas bridge
the gap and bring us closer.
India is already demonstrating global leadership on electric
mobility - the UK is the right partner for that work, together
helping to drive progress through innovation. Another example
of the UK and India working as a force for good.
The UK is taking significant strides towards making electric
mobility an integral part of its domestic transportation policy.
The 2018 Road to Zero Strategy to reduce emissions from road
transport is one of the most comprehensive plans globally –
mapping out how the UK will make all new cars and vans
zero-emission by 2040.
Last year, one in five electric cars sold in Europe was made in
the UK and it was the second largest market for Ultra Low
Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) in the EU. The Faraday Institute is
investing £246 million is working with premier UK universities
and battery and electric vehicle manufacturers in the UK to
address challenges around battery manufacturing.
India is working towards a ‘shared, connected and electric’
mobility system and is exploring innovative ways to increase the
share of low carbon vehicles across the country. It recently
announced a set of incentives in the Union budget, including tax
incentives, to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles. The
two countries are already working together across a number of
areas related to the development of clean energy.
The UK delegation includes senior representatives from the Office
for Low Emission Vehicles, Department of International Trade, Eo
Charging, Go Ultra Low, Amte Power, Moixa, Saietta Group, and
Arrival.
Transport for London and the Indian Ministry of Road Transport
and Highways signed an memorandum of understanding last year to
help improve the overall public transport system in India,
improve passenger services and promote the use of high capacity
buses in the country.
In June, Innovate UK – the UK’s innovation agency – announced a
programme to support the development of electric vehicle
integration and clean air innovations together with partners in
the city of Bengaluru. The programme will be carried out by the
UK’s Energy Systems, Connected Places and Satellite Applications
Catapults, and will link expertise, activities and innovation
communities in the UK and Bengaluru.
The Road to Zero Strategy and the UK’s Industrial Strategy are
available online. The UK has also launched a Future Mobility
Strategy, outlining the Government’s approach to dramatically
reducing carbon emissions and other pollutants.
The UK is the first major economy to pass a net zero emissions
law. Last month, the UK announced its bid to host COP26 climate
negotiations in partnership with Italy.
Pure electric cars have a strong environmental benefit, but also
a financial one. Studies in the UK have shown that pure electric
cars can helps users save approximately £650 a year in tax and
fuel over petrol or diesel cars.
