The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has released a notification stating that it will amend the Motor Vehicles Act 1989 to allow older vehicles to be retro-fitted with a hybrid or electric system. This move, which has yet to be approved, has been put forward in order to curb increasing vehicular pollution.
Based on the draft, the ministry will allow for passenger cars and small goods carriers (not exceeding a gross weight of 3,500kg) to be fitted with certified aftermarket kits through authorised workshops. The electric and hybrid kits will be supplied by Bosch and Cummins and the cost of converting a pure internal combustion engine to a hybrid one is said to be shy of the Rs 1 lakh mark. However, this cost could become even less as more vehicles adopt this kit due to economies of scale. The government is also encouraging other companies to provide electric kits.
In order to create a scenario for quicker adoption of hybrids and electric vehicles, the government is also working on a voluntary vehicle fleet modernisation policy for four-wheelers that are older than 12 years. Covering passenger and commercial vehicles, this policy is meant to incentivise the populace by offering certificates of discounts to those who scrap older vehicles. These discounts can be availed at the time of buying a new car. The policy will the government certifying scrap yards in order to properly process older vehicles.
A third measure to curb vehicular pollution that is expected to be put into action will be a star rating sticker based on the fuel efficiency of the model. Car manufacturers will be expected to mandatorily display tamper-proof stickers on all their models that have the fuel efficiency displayed.
Would you retro-fit your classic car with an electric kit? Leave a comment below.
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