It is learned that the Goa government will be offering a slew of incentives for citizens buying electric vehicles (EVs). There will be cash incentives in the form of buy-back programmes where they will be able to exchange their vehicles that run on petrol for electric bikes. It is also proposed to waive the registration fees, besides offering a subsidy to make the electric vehicles affordable and accessible. It is understood that there are close to a million two-wheelers in Goa comprising almost 70 per cent of the state’s vehicle population. It is a fact that vehicles that run purely on electricity do not cause emissions and are therefore environment friendly. The government is installing public charging stations in the state. All this looks very attractive but there are some questions which need answers. It is understood that the electric two-wheeler takes around three to four hours to get fully charged while filling a petrol tank to full capacity takes a few minutes. With close to a million two-wheelers on the roads, there will be utter commotion at the charging stations. The electric vehicle can travel up to 100 km on a single charge. Hence only travelling within the state may be possible. Inter-state travel on an electric two-wheeler may not be possible as there may be no charging stations on the highway. A better option would be a hybrid vehicle which runs both on electricity and petrol.
