India is home to some of the world’s most polluted cities, but now motorists can pick up a fully-fledged electric car courtesy of Hyundai.The Kona
Electric SUV will cost US$36,000 – more than three times the price of the cheapest regular SUV in the country – and almost eight-times more expensive than a typical saloon car.
However, the Kona does have a one-up on gas-guzzlers: its range. While India currently lacks many electric charging stations, the Kona Electric can travel over 450-kilometres on a single charge.
India is set to become the world’s most populated country within a decade, and although last-week unveiled new tax incentives, automakers still say there is no clear government roadmap to bring electric vehicles to its streets.
According to Bloomberg, the market share of electric vehicles in India is just 0.06 per cent. In Norway, that figure is up to 39 per cent.
Currently, there are less than 7,000 electric cars on India’s roads. In contrast, China sold 455,571 electric vehicles in the first half of 2019 alone.
Speaking to the Press Trust of India, Hyundai Motors Managing Director SS Kim said, “We think more can be done by the government to accelerate the adoption of EVs in India.”
Local companies Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra both have launched electric vehicles in India, but only with a limited range.
India is home to 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities, says Greenpeace, and poisonous air killed more than 1.24 million people there in 2017.
