Delhi: Green move that turns out pocket-friendly too

NEW DELHI: For Chhatarpur resident Shashi Kiran Singh Puri, travelling nearly 100km each day from Delhi to Ballabhgarh and back cost him almost Rs 27,000 each month in fuel. With his vehicle almost at the end of its life, the doctor made a conscious decision to opt for not only an environment-friendly car, but one that would reduce his commuting expenses. The electric car he bought requires five hours of charging once every three-four days and allows him to drive around 350km before he has to plug in the charger again. With Delhi government pushing the use of electric vehicles (EVs), many others like Puri now consider such cars genuine transport options.

Confident after two months of purchasing the MG ZS, Puri drove all the way to Kandaghat in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday. “Charging hasn’t been a problem so far,” the 70-year-old said. “For my trip to Kandaghat, after travelling 270km, we halted at Panchkula and had snacks while our car got charged at the showroom. All showrooms have turbo chargers that can recharge your car fully in 45 minutes.”

The retired wing commander and medical superintendent of a Ballabhgarh hospital added, “An EV is not only ecofriendly, but also financially prudent. I no longer spend Rs 800-900 per day in fuel.” Puri usually recharges his car after reaching home in the evening and by midnight, it is done. “The auto-cut off feature automatically stops the electricity when the battery is fully charged,” he said, adding that he has not yet felt the need to use a charging station in the city.

Businessman Suninder Sandha also owns two EVs, having purchased his first, the MG ZS in March last year, after reading about it on the internet and getting feedback from relatives in the US and the UK. “After I got my first EV, I stopped using my other cars for daily purposes,” said Sandha who logs over 1,000km every month. Happy and satisfied with it, Sandha bought another green number plate car, the Mercedes Benz EQC, in January.

“In comparison to fuel-based cars, driving an EV is comfortable and convenient due to its lighter weight. I don’t feel tired when I drive these vehicles,” testified Sandha. The GK resident charges his cars at home for six hours each, either together or separately as necessary.

Vinod Pillai doesn’t need to charge the EV he bought last September more than once a week. When he drove it to Pune, he stopped six times on the way. “It took us two days to cover the distance of almost 1,500km,” revealed the Delhi Cantonment dweller. “I did not have to worry about recharging the battery because we simply halted at an MG or Tata showroom on the way for that.” The two companies have an MoU to set up fast chargers and allow the consumer of either brand to walk in and juice up their car.

Pillai said that being a Delhiite, he wanted to do his bit to fight air pollution. He drives his car only around 35km a day. “On a full charge, it can go around for 350km, good enough to last me a whole week. I use my Saturdays or Sundays to recharge the battery,” said Pillai, for whom the higher upfront cost of the EV is more than made up by the better long-term economics. “People forget there are subsidies, lower interest rates on loans and some exemptions while purchasing an EV. The tax too lower,” he smiled.

Vikas Sharma also recently replaced his 13-year-old petrol vehicle with an electric one after comparing the costs with diesel and petrol models. “My experience has been great so far,” said the happy Mayur Vihar resident. “I incur a cost of Rs 1-1.10 per 10km compared with Rs 8-9 in my petrol vehicle. The money saved on fuel is helping me pay off the bank loan.” Sharma travels around 60km every day and finds the EV a great option. “With more charging points cropping up around the city, I can only expect a better scenario in years to come,” he said.

Sharma suggested that the government extend the subsidy to vehicles costing below Rs 15 lakh to make their purchase more attractive. EV prices start at around Rs 10 lakh, with SUVs costing upwards of Rs 15 lakh.

Even electric scooters users are elated with their decisions. Sharad Soni smiles when he talks of his two-years old Xero+. “It has become a centre of attraction and people on the road ask me about my experience of using a green vehicle,” Soni said. “I have a daily run of around 20km and have never faced any inconvenience.” He has since decided to buy two more electric scooters — for his daughter and daughter-in-law.