UPSC Mains 2023 GS3 Q15: model answer

Transport produces nearly a quarter of global energy-related CO2. Electric vehicle (EV) sales reached about 14 million in 2023, nearly one in five new cars sold worldwide (IEA).

How EVs reduce carbon emissions

• No tailpipe emissions: they burn no fuel while driving.
• Higher efficiency: electric motors convert most of their energy to motion, compared with a much smaller share for petrol and diesel engines.
• Cleaner grid, cleaner EV: as solar and wind grow, each EV's emissions fall over its life.
• Regenerative braking recovers energy.
• Lifecycle studies show EVs emit less than combustion vehicles in most countries, even counting battery production.

Key benefits over combustion vehicles

• Cleaner city air: no particulate or NOx emissions from exhausts, important in Delhi and other polluted cities.
• Lower running costs: electricity is cheaper per km than fuel.
• Less maintenance: fewer moving parts, no oil changes.
• Energy security: India imports over 85% of its crude oil; EVs cut this bill.
• Quieter roads.
• Grid support: batteries can store renewable power.
• Industrial opportunity: new manufacturing in batteries and electronics.

Caveats

• In coal-heavy grids the gains shrink.
• Mining of lithium, cobalt and nickel has environmental and human costs.
• Battery recycling and charging infrastructure lag.

India's push: FAME schemes, PLI for advanced chemistry cell batteries, PM E-DRIVE (2024) and lower GST on EVs, with a focus on two- and three-wheelers and buses.

EVs deliver their full climate benefit only when paired with a green grid and a circular battery economy.