• Thursday, March 28, 2024

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Electric vehicles more harmful for environment than conventional ones, says India’s IIT Kanpur study

The study, conducted by professor Avinash Agarwal of IIT Kanpur, observed that Battery Electric Cars (CEVs) emit 15-50 per cent more greenhouse gases than other vehicles in various categories.

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By: Shubham Ghosh

While governments and car-manufacturers are emphasising on electric vehicles (EVs) over those powered by conventional fuel as an environment-friendly move, a recent study conducted by India’s elite Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has come with a counter observation.

According to the report by IIT Kanpur’s Engine Research Lab, electric cars are more harmful for the environment than the conventional and hybrid ones since their manufacturing, use and scrapping produce 15 to 50 per cent more greenhouse gases than the hybrid and conventional ones, India Today reported.

While it has been found that the purchase, insurance and maintenance of EVs are more expensive by 15-60 per cent, the study said hybrid electric cars are the most eco-friendly.

The study, which was carried out by IIT Kanpur with help of a Japanese organisation on electric, hybrid and conventional vehicles, divided cars into three types — two foreign and one Indian — to calculate the Life Cycle Analysis and Total Cost of Ownership of the vehicles, the report added.

The study, conducted by professor Avinash Agarwal of IIT Kanpur, observed that Battery Electric Cars (BEVs) emit 15-50 per cent more greenhouse gases than other vehicles in various categories.

In BEVs, the battery has to be charged with electricity and currently, 75 per cent of electricity in India is generated from coal from which carbon-di-oxide is emitted.

Hybrid electric vehicles, on the other hand, emit the least quantity of greenhouse gases than the other two types of vehicles but are costlier than them.

Hybrid cars are costly because of high government taxes on them and if the government wants to promote clean technology, it should tax hybrid vehicles at par with the battery ones, the IIT study said.

It also said that battery cars are being promoted through lower taxes and other benefits to the buyers despite them harming the environment.

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