Cost of EVs to be at par with petrol-run vehicles in 2 years: Nitin Gadkari

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highway Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said rapid strides in technology and green fuel will reduce the cost of electric vehicles (EVs), bringing them at par with petrol-run vehicles in the next two years.

Replying in the Lok Sabha on the Demands for Grants for Road Transport and Highways Ministry, 2022-23, Gadkari pointed out the need to shift to cost-effective indigenous fuel and hoped that this fuel will be a reality soon, bringing the pollution levels down and improving the overall situation in Delhi.

Urging MPs to adopt hydrogen technologies for transport, Gadkari asked them to take initiative in their respective districts for converting sewage water to produce green hydrogen. Hydrogen will soon be the cheapest fuel alternative, he said. ''I can say within maximum two years, the cost of electric scooter, car, autoricksahw will be same as petrol-driven scooter, car, autorickshaw. Prices of lithium-ion battery are coming down. We are developing this chemistry of zinc-ion, aluminium-ion, sodium-ion batteries. If petrol, you are spending Rs 100, then on electric vehicle you will spend Rs 10 (for using),'' Gadkari said.

Comparing roads built in America with those in India, Gadkari also said,"...American roads are not good because America is rich but America is rich because American roads are good. To make India prosperous, I assure that before December 2024 India's road infrastructure will be like America."

Besides, the Union Minister also informed the Parliament today that road projects worth Rs 62,000 crore have been undertaken in the national capital to ease traffic congestions, and tackle the problem of pollution.

Highlighting the improvement in highway connectivity and road infrastructure, Gadkari said that it now takes only 40 minutes to travel to Meerut from Delhi, as against four hours earlier. ''Our aim is to reduce the cost of construction and improve the quality,'' he said, adding the milestone of 38 km/day road construction, which is a world record, was achieved by India last year.

On the progress in the building of infrastructure, the minister said that road travel between Delhi to Jaipur; and Delhi to Haridwar now takes 2 hours. Similarly, the travel time from Delhi to Amritsar is now four hours.

Gadkari said that connectivity between Delhi to Mumbai will be improved such that the travel time is reduced to 12 hours and added that ''we will complete within this year''.

''From Ladakh, Leh to Srinagar we will go to Mumbai.... before the end of this year, we will try that from Srinagar you are able to reach Mumbai in 20 hours,'' the minister said. Work is on in full swing for the Zojila tunnel in Kashmir and is expected to be completed by 2024, much before the scheduled target of 2026, he said. Gadkari said currently 70 per cent of goods and 90 per cent of the passenger traffic are travelling by road, as he highlighted the importance of becoming more competitive and reducing logistics costs.

Even as India builds a massive road infrastructure, it is taking every step to safeguard the ecological aspects, Gadkari said, adding that about 1,000 specialised contractors, who can transplant trees, will ensure that they are not cut down.

(With agency inputs)