In terms of environment-friendliness, a hybrid vehicle is the best solution for developing countries such as India, where the overall number of vehicles being sold is quite high. However, the current tax structure and lack of incentives for the hybrid vehicles means that these would be available at a premium price. One could see this with the launch of the Toyota Prius, which is priced at Rs. 25 lakhs and the Honda Civic at Rs. 21 lakhs. However, a discount of Rs. 8 lakhs did lead to a massive surge in demand for the Civic in November 2009. This joy was short-lived for many, since a time period of 3-4 months was required to import the vehicle. Ultimately, Honda decided to discontinue this model.
Many hybrid vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf, the Toyota Prius and the Chevrolet Volt can be seen in the developed market. Electric hybrid technology is such that a petrol or diesel motor operates in alternation with one or more electric motors. In fact, Toyota Prius is one of the highest selling vehicles in the United States.
If a battery pack can be fitted with the 1.3 litre vehicles at a reasonable price, these will definitely sell like hot cakes. One would love to see the Toyota Etios or the Honda City being fitted with battery packs. It will greatly help in reducing the carbon footprint due to vehicular pollution. The Prius has proved to be capable of delivering 28-29 kmpl, which means that smaller vehicles would be able to deliver even higher fuel efficiency figures.
Currently, the only successful electric vehicle in India is the Reva (not a hybrid).It also is being made with 95 per cent indigenous materials. The vehicle was bought by a large percentage of women and the elderly, but did not having adequate seating capacity for 4 adults. But now, after the partnership with M&M, the Reva NXR is being made, which would be a larger vehicle, capable of seating 4 adults comfortably.
Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO at Nissan Motors, said in 2009 that India lacks in terms of infrastructure for the sustenance of electric vehicles. This comment did not come without a reason, as many parts of India suffer from erratic power supply. With more number of vehicles being charged, this power situation is expected to become worse, given the current state of electricity.
A number of academic institutions conducted research and developed hybrid vehicles in the past, some of which have also been revealed. At the annual Green Car Festival (USA) in 2006, Delhi school of Engineering showcased a gasoline and electric hybrid car. This vehicle had a 200Ah lead acid battery, along with a 13 litre fuel tank and was codenamed 'The Fledge'. On similar lines, Ten Amity School of Engineering and Technology launched its first tri-fuel hybrid car in June 2012, which had power options of battery, petrol and LPG.
The fact of the matter remains that India is still a very price conscious market, when it comes to purchasing vehicles. Until the technology makes these vehicles cheaper, there will not be many takers for these eco-friendly electric hybrids. There is also a desperate need to improve the power situation in this country, for electric vehicles to become successful.
