Abstract:

Eddy Current Controls introduced the ‘Lovebird', India's first electric vehicle (EV), in 1993. The two-seater car had a driving range of 60 kilometres per charge and was powered by a lead–acid battery that required eight hours to fully charge.  Zero subsidies, a lack of electric power and networks, and the car's inability to climb a gradient greater than 15 degrees were all serious disadvantages at the time. When compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, EV technology, infrastructure, and legislative backing are much better today, but the price is still as high as it was in the 1990s.