India's Electric Vehicle Transition Over the Years

‘Lovebird’, the first electric vehicle (EV) in India, was launched in 1993 by Eddy Current Controls. Equipped with a lead–acid battery, which took eight hours to charge fully, the two-seater car had a driving range of 60 km per charge. Zero subsidies, the lack of electric power and networks, and the inability of the car to climb a gradient above 15 degrees were some major drawbacks back then. The technology, infrastructure, and policy support for EVs is much better today, but the price is still as high as it was in the 90s when compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.