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Electric vehicles alone may not be the best answer to pollution

Roland Folger, chief executive of Mercedes-Benz in India, has requested the government to avoid rushing into an era of all-electric vehicles. His statement comes against the backdrop of the government’s resolve to ensure that only electric vehicles are sold in the country from 2030. In fact, earlier in the year, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari threatened to “bulldoze” the automobile industry’s perceived opposition to advancing the date for implementation of electric vehicles. To a great extent, Mr Gadkari and the government are justified in the push against conventionally fuelled cars. Pollution in Indian cities such as New Delhi routinely stays