Green Wheels: The Role of Electric Cars in Reducing Emissions in India

  • Unique Paper ID: 203551
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 12
  • PageNo: 11664-11669
  • Abstract:
  • The Indian electric vehicle market has seen significant success, with FY2026 witnessing a sales figure of 2.45 million, a whopping 25% increase from the previous fiscal year. This paper seeks to shed light on the contribution of electric cars to emission reduction and energy security in India, which sources more than 88% of its crude oil from other countries, making the adoption of electric vehicles crucial for the nation. The paper relies on industrial statistics gathered through Vahan retail sales data, Autocar Professional, and Autocar India to discuss the performance of different segments, their shares, and energy efficiencies. Key findings include the fact that the electric two-wheeler category leads in volumes at 1.4 million units (57%) and that electric passenger vehicles have recorded the fastest growth rate (84% YoY). In terms of energy efficiency, EVs use ~60% of energy generated in the grid while conventional vehicles record 17-21%, in addition to no tailpipe emission. However, battery production emission (~50% EVs carbon footprint), low battery recycling rates (5%), and cobalt extraction for batteries remain key concerns. However, the competition dynamics are changing, with Tata Motors being threatened by new competitors such as JSW MG Motor and Mahindra. The Indian promise to have 40% non-fossil fuels in its power generation capacity by 2030 will increase the benefits of EVs on emissions. Although it is not an answer in its totality, electric vehicles are definitely an important part of India’s sustainable transport system.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{203551,
        author = {Amal Philip and Dr. Elsamma Joseph},
        title = {Green Wheels: The Role of Electric Cars in Reducing Emissions in India},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {11664-11669},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=203551},
        abstract = {The Indian electric vehicle market has seen significant success, with FY2026 witnessing a sales figure of 2.45 million, a whopping 25% increase from the previous fiscal year. This paper seeks to shed light on the contribution of electric cars to emission reduction and energy security in India, which sources more than 88% of its crude oil from other countries, making the adoption of electric vehicles crucial for the nation. The paper relies on industrial statistics gathered through Vahan retail sales data, Autocar Professional, and Autocar India to discuss the performance of different segments, their shares, and energy efficiencies. Key findings include the fact that the electric two-wheeler category leads in volumes at 1.4 million units (57%) and that electric passenger vehicles have recorded the fastest growth rate (84% YoY). In terms of energy efficiency, EVs use ~60% of energy generated in the grid while conventional vehicles record 17-21%, in addition to no tailpipe emission. However, battery production emission (~50% EVs carbon footprint), low battery recycling rates (5%), and cobalt extraction for batteries remain key concerns. However, the competition dynamics are changing, with Tata Motors being threatened by new competitors such as JSW MG Motor and Mahindra. The Indian promise to have 40% non-fossil fuels in its power generation capacity by 2030 will increase the benefits of EVs on emissions. Although it is not an answer in its totality, electric vehicles are definitely an important part of India’s sustainable transport system.},
        keywords = {Electric Vehicles (EVs), India EV market, emission reduction, battery sustainability, energy security},
        month = {May},
        }

Cite This Article

Philip, A., & Joseph, D. E. (2026). Green Wheels: The Role of Electric Cars in Reducing Emissions in India. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(12), 11664–11669.

Related Articles