India's Environment Czar: 'EV's Too Expensive To Be Practical'India's Environment Czar: 'EV's Too Expensive To Be Practical'

India’s Environment Minister told hundreds of executives attending the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers conference last week that electric cars don’t make sense in India, The Wall Street Journal reports.

            Jairam Ramesh said that electric cars are too expensive to be practical and will lead to electricity consumption that will be harmful to the environment. “I would urge the auto sector not to treat the environment as a speed-breaker,” he said.

            Analysts interviewed by The Wall Street Journal agreed with Ramesh. “With electric cars you are just moving the pollution to a different location,” said Paul Blokland, director of the auto research company, Segment Y. “What would be a lot better is to get rid of the older vehicles.”

            India has about 18 million vehicles, with close to a third being 13 years or older. On average, those vehicles are said to pollute about 20 times more than new cars.