E-mobility in Indian cities aims to cut high levels of emissions and save people money. Ideas from e-motorbikes to e-taxis coupled with regulations and subsidies are making a difference. But is it enough?

Chennai

Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently amid rising sea-levels and increasing temperatures.

Climate Crisis

Electric vehicles (EVs) are experiencing a steady increase in adoption across India as the nation seeks to address its environmental challenges and provide cost-effective transportation solutions to its populace. Indian cities are adopting various e-mobility solutions, ranging from electric motorbikes to electric taxis. This shift is supported by a combination of policy regulations and financial incentives, aimed at reducing the country's high levels of emissions and making electric vehicles a more attractive option for consumers.

Despite these efforts, questions remain about the adequacy of these measures in significantly transforming India's transportation landscape. The involvement of electric vehicles in India's strategy to combat pollution and enhance sustainable transportation offers a promising outlook. However, the effectiveness and sufficiency of the current framework of regulations and subsidies in achieving widespread adoption and meeting environmental goals is still under scrutiny.



Electric vehicles are slowly taking over in India

The noise is exhausting. More than 6 million motorbikes and cars push their way through Chennai every day. Emission levels are sky high. Things need to change, say climate activists. Climate change means we have to shift from combustion engines to electric vehicles. World leaders have promised to gradually reduce fossil fuels and to have a set target like 2050 or 2070, by which time their countries will have made a complete switch to sustainable energy sources. A lot of money has been invested already and change is underway. Young people in particular like Rakesh Jubashtin are already making the shift. It makes sense. It makes sense economically too. Vehicle emissions play a huge role in air pollution and climate change, which is why the government is promoting electric vehicles. I decided to buy an EV to save money and also so that I could do my bit. The switch to e-mobility is also an opportunity for the city's start-ups like Fulfilly. Its electric two-wheelers deliver goods from online retailers. The company says it's a win-win situation. The public will notice several benefits. The low maintenance cost, avoiding rising fuel costs and less pollution. People can save a lot of money by going electric. Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is known as India's Silicon Valley. Despite its high-tech reputation, it has the same levels of noise and air pollution as an old industrial city. One taxi company has recently converted its entire fleet to electric vehicles. Drivers like Prasanna are very impressed. Electric vehicles are easy to drive. There are no gears or clutch, just a brake and an accelerator. So they are much nicer to drive in traffic. We head to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala. Here, regional authorities have tried to get a handle on air pollution by toughening emissions regulations. Updating the diesel engines of their vehicles to fit the new norms would have been very expensive for this rickshaw producer. So instead, they built a brand new fleet run on electricity. Like a policy decision, the government at that time, they took the initiative and supported us for doing research and development in this EV. And slowly, we transformed from this petrol-driven company to EV company with the support of the government. Kerala's government grants buyers a subsidy of up to Rs 30,000 around ₹330 on e-vehicle purchases, plus road tax exemption for five years. But critics say the take-up is still far too low.

A smiling and healthy-looking King Charles returned to public duties on Tuesday (April 30) for the first time since he was diagnosed in February with cancer, paying a visit to a treatment center for the disease in London.

London

King Charles returns to public duties, visits cancer center

A 14-year-old boy is dead and multiple people injured after a daylight sword attack in Hainault, in east London. The alleged attacker tasered and arrested by Police shortly afterwards.

Hainault

Teenage boy killed in London sword attack

Brittany Higgins has failed in a bid to delay a defamation trial brought against her by Senator Linda Reynolds over social media posts made in July last year. Fiancé David Sharaz, also named in the case, calling for the Senator to drop the case.

Canberra

Brittany Higgins fails in bid to delay defamation trial

Since taking office four months ago, Argentina's new president Javier Milei has slashed public employment in an effort to cut the country's deficit. So far, 24,000 people have been let go, and Milei has said he wants that figure to hit 70,000, about 10 percent of overall government employees.

Buenos Aires

Argentina's Milei slashes 24,000 government jobs

A Russian missile attack on an educational institution in a popular seafront park in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Odesa killed at least five people and injured 32, local officials said. Odesa has been a frequent target of Russian missile and drone attacks, particular port infrastructure.

Odesa

Ukraine Invasion

Russian missile attack kills five in Ukraine's Odesa

Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf resigned, further opening the door to the UK opposition Labour Party regaining ground in its former Scottish heartlands during a national election expected to be held later this year.

Edinburgh

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf quits

A 17-year-old girl charged with the stabbing murder of her 10-year-old sister in a suburb of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales will remain in custody.

Lake Macquarie

Teenager faces court over murder of 10-year-old sister

Columbia University began suspending pro-Palestinian activists who refused to dismantle a tent encampment on its New York City campus after the Ivy League school declared a stalemate in talks seeking to end the polarizing protest.

New York

Columbia University suspends pro-Palestinian protesters

The debris from a missile that landed in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv on Jan. 2 was from a North Korean Hwasong-11 series ballistic missile, United Nations sanctions monitors told a Security Council committee in a report seen by Reuters on Monday (April 29).

Kharkiv

U.N. experts say North Korea missile landed in Kharkiv

Columbia University's president said that talks with pro-Palestinian activists over a protest encampment on the Ivy League campus in New York City had reached an impasse and urged demonstrators to voluntarily disperse or face suspension.

Protesters defy deadline to leave Columbia encampment

Spain's Prime Minister said he has decided to stay in office after days of publicly weighing his future, generating relief amongst leftist allies, exasperation among the public and ridicule from his opponents. Sanchez said last week that he was retreating from public duty to decide whether to quit.

Madrid

Pedro Sanchez stays on as Spain's prime minister

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he is hopeful Hamas will accept an “extraordinarily generous” offer, as U.K. Foreign Minister David Cameron says it will include a 40-day ceasefire. But the sticking points remain: Israelis want a truce while Hamas demands a cessation of all hostilities.

Riyadh

Israel-Gaza War

U.S., U.K. urge Hamas to accept Israeli truce proposal

G7 environment ministers have gathered in Turin for two days of talks, as hundreds of protesters demonstrated in the city, some burning photos of the G7 leaders who they accuse of failing future generations over the climate crisis.

Turin

Protesters call for climate action ahead of G7 meeting in Turin

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne is in the Lebanese capital Beirut for talks aimed at easing tensions between Hezbollah and Israel. After meeting Lebanon’s influential Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, and the head of the Lebanese army, Joseph Aoun, Sejourne said there had been “a lot of progress” over the French proposals.

Beirut

French FM says ‘a lot of progress’ in Lebanon talks

At least four people are dead, including an infant, after a series of tornadoes swept across Oklahoma. The weather system is threatening the region with more twisters, heavy rain and large hail in a band stretching from Missouri to Texas.

Sulphur

At least four dead in Oklahoma tornadoes

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she would stand in upcoming European Parliament elections, a move apparently calculated to boost her far-right party, although she would be forced to resign immediately under EU rules.

Pescara

Italian far-right PM Meloni says will stand in EU elections

At least four people died, including a four-month-old baby, in Oklahoma this weekend, after dozens of twisters swept the U.S. Southern Plains. The White House said, President Joe Biden has pledged federal support for Oklahoma as well as other states hit by severe storms.

Oklahoma

Deadly tornadoes rip through Oklahoma

The Sydney Bishop targeted in an alleged terror-related attack a fortnight ago has made a surprise appearance before his congregation in Western Sydney. Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel saying he forgives his attacker, who is facing terrorism charges.

Wakeley

Sydney bishop returns to pulpit after stabbing

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been slammed by protest leaders for his involvement in a protest against gendered violence in Canberra at the weekend. Organisers hitting out at the Labor leader on social media, calling him a 'liar'.

Protest leaders hit out at Prime Minister over power 'abuse'

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and "reiterated his clear position" on a possible invasion of the Gaza border city of Rafah, the White House said.

Tel Aviv-Yafo

Biden tells Netanyahu U.S. doesn't support Rafah assault

Ukraine's top general says his troops have been forced to retreat as fighting on the country's eastern front intensified. Kyiv's forces have fallen back to new positions in at least three places along the front, west of the Donetsk region.

Donetsk

Ukraine troops retreating on eastern front

Tesla CEO Elon Musk arrived in Beijing on an unannounced visit, to meet senior officials to discuss the rollout of Full Self-Driving software and permission to transfer data overseas, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

Shanghai

Elon Musk makes surprise visit to China

Hamas's armed wing released video of two men held hostage in Gaza who are seen alive and urging Israeli authorities to strike a deal for the release of all the remaining captives.

Rafah

Hamas releases video of two Israeli hostages

Defence Minister Richard Marles has revealed a fresh aid package to support Ukraine in its war with Russia, including $30 million in funding for drones. It marks more than one billion dollars in funding from Australia since the war began.

Lviv

Australia announces $100m in Ukraine aid

Tens of thousands of people have marched across the country calling for an end to violence against women. The Prime Minister addressed the crowd in Canberra where he called the issue a 'national crisis'.

Prime Minister joins rally calling for end to gendered violence

Israeli protesters have shut down streets in Tel Aviv demanding the release of hostages and the political end of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Anger has been growing inside Israel as the Gaza war drags on for more than 200 days.

Thousands block Tel Aviv streets in protest

After weeks of delays, negotiations, and distractions, Israel appears to be gearing up for its ground invasion in southern Gaza. Dozens of Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles have been seen near Rafah, Gaza’s last 'safe zone'.

Israel 'gearing up' for Rafah ground offensive

Ohio police released video of a Black man who died at a local hospital after repeatedly telling officers "I can't breathe" as they pinned him to the floor of a bar and handcuffed him, evoking memories of the killing of George Floyd in 2020.

Canton

'I can't breathe' man tells Ohio cops before death

Witnesses in Gaza reported fresh Israeli strikes overnight around Rafah. It comes as Hamas says it is considering an Israeli ceasefire proposal, after a delegation from Egypt arrived in Israel to resume stalled negotiations.

Sderot

Gaza hit by fresh strikes amid ceasefire talks

The US military has started building a large floating pier off Gaza's coast to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, the defence department has said. Ships will deliver aid from Cyprus to the pier where it will be loaded onto trucks to transfer across Gaza.

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