Penalise companies selling old EV technology: Enercent CEO

Enercent CEO Bhargava said that he would request the government to be heavy-handed against companies offering outdated technologies

Emerging electric vehicle charging platform, Enercent wants the government to penalise companies that seek to push outdated technologies in the country, thus stunting growth in the field of electric mobility.

Enercent has more than 400 charging stations for electric vehicles in Bengaluru alone and is also expanding in states such as Telangana, Maharashtra, and Delhi-NCR as electric vehicles, has gained popularity in the country.

“We have a presence at 14 locations across Bengaluru and offer 400 plus charging points and are looking to expand with real estate players to get dedicated parking spaces,” Enercent founder and CEO G Anantha Bhargava told DH.

According to market research firms, two and three-wheelers and commercial vehicles are expected to drive the electric vehicle sector growth in the country, with the personal mobility segment pegged at 10-15% of the market by 2030.

Bhargava’s pet peeve with the government is its policy to allow the sale of electric vehicles without a pre-fitted battery in a bid to make such vehicles affordable.

“We believe that this is nothing but suicidal for the EV industry. This will set us 20 years backward as we will end up importing 20-year-old battery technology at a time when the world is moving towards new technologies,” he said.

Bhargava said that he would request the government to be heavy-handed against companies offering outdated technologies.

“Penalise companies that import batteries that don’t charge faster. We should encourage Teslas of India instead of old school vehicles by India,” he said.