Commercial and long-distance transport would be difficult if charging duration and payload issues are not addressed, says KPMG.
Supply-side constraints may prove to be an obstacle in battery-driven electric vehicles becoming the only technology for future mobility in India, according to a study by Big Four professional services firm KPMG.
As a result, the study noted that fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) can come in as a complementing technology in the second phase of electrification in India, PTI reported.
While a battery electric vehicle (BEV) is propelled by an electric motor powered by battery, FCEV uses hydrogen gas to power an electric motor.
BEV technology is expected to be the obvious choice in India to kick-start the shift towards cleaner fuel, KPMG said in its study report titled ‘Automotive fuel: Racing towards a multipolar world’.
“However, supply-side constraints might prove an obstacle in BEV becoming the only technology to have pervaded all forms of mobility as India produces close to four million passenger cars and roughly about 30 million mobility products (as on 2018),” it added.
India dependent on imports
The report said that India will continue to be dependent on imports which could compromise economic mandates and constrain the adoption of BEVs.
In addition, the report highlighted that India does not have reserves of some of the most important raw materials, such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, for manufacturing battery.
Further, it said that if charging duration and payload issues are not addressed, then commercial and long-distance transport would be difficult.
The report cited that China, which is the market leader in BEVs, has set a target for over one million FCEVs and 1,000 hydrogen refueling stations in service by 2030 without mitigating its drive to establish BEVs.
