Electric Vehicle gaining acceptance slowly

The Bangladesh automobile market is in a state of transition. When the first hybrids came on to the market, first through reconditioned vehicles which was followed by brand new variants, there was palpable hesitation on the part of consumers about what this new technology would entail. This was understandable because the first shipments that came in had a lot of problems in underperforming battery life and replacement costs for battery cells or entire battery packs were exorbitant. That has changed with government slashing taxation on this category of vehicles and consumers smartening up on how to shop.

Similarly, a quiet revolution has begun in the passenger category of Electric Vehicles (EVs). This has been made possible because the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the body responsible for registering vehicles in the country has formulated rules which allow for EVs to be registered in the same manner as conventional vehicles running on combustible engines. The rest of the world started this journey a few years ago, but Bangladesh has finally started the process of making it possible for consumers to buy and register vehicles and that is only the first step.

Presently, EVs of premium brands and pricing are seen on Dhaka roads. According to BRTA data, 34 such vehicles have been registered in two years. One may ask why a mere 34 vehicles over 48 months is news. It is news because the government intends to convert 30 per cent of all vehicles to EVs by 2030. Now that is news because this would entail tens of thousands of cars to be switched to battery-driven EVs. While the infrastructure to recharge EVs is still missing in country, that is expected to change as one or more EV plants come into production domestically in the foreseeable future. Reportedly, several companies have or are in the process of setting up plants, primarily in the new special economic zones. Foreign and domestic investments to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars have been earmarked for EV assembling in Bangladesh and what was lacking were BRTA rules and guidelines. The government is understood to have taken the first steps at 'greening' the public transport sector by importing 100 EV buses that are to be operated in the city on a trial basis to see how things pan out.

Although it is highly commendable that authorities have come round to this way of thinking, it is also hoped that rules and guidelines be set up for the 2.5 million unauthorized EVs that are plying the country's roads, on highways, in rural Bangladesh. Commonly called 'easy', these are long-base 3-wheeler passenger vehicles are EVs. These are both imported, and increasingly locally assembled and perform a wide variety of essential tasks from moving people from Point A to Point B, and in some cases are used to transport goods in rural Bangladesh. Attempts to ban them have failed primarily due to public pressure because they do serve the purpose of transportation. In the absence of viable options, people will ignore the law to get the job done. That is ground reality.

The BRTA should formulate rules on these EVs too because by all counts, they are here to stay. Forming rules and turning these rules into a law would help regulate the quality of manufacture of EVs, which now involves thousands of people who work as technicians and are involved in the assembling of such vehicles. Currently, there is no quality control and since these EVs ply country roads and sometimes venture on to highways, it is time to look at this sector with renewed interest at policylevel.