In 2024, global carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels hit a record 37.4 billion tonnes, according to the Global Carbon Budget. That’s a 0.8 percent increase over 2023. Some regions managed to bring emissions down, but others saw sharp rises. India, for instance, is projected to see a 4.6 percent jump.
Transport continues to be one of the biggest contributors, with most of the emissions still coming from vehicles powered by petrol and diesel. But here’s the thing. When we talk about EVs, this isn’t just a story about cleaner technology. It’s a question of whether we’re actually reducing the damage or just moving it somewhere else.
EVs don’t emit from tailpipes, and that helps. But if the electricity comes from coal-fired power plants, we’re still feeding carbon into the atmosphere.
The battery issue is another one. Making a single EV battery can produce more emissions than building an entire petrol engine. It takes years of driving to make up for that, and only if the power used is clean. So yes, EVs matter. They help. But they’re not the whole solution. Not yet. Let’s talk about; what EVs get right?
For starters, they’re efficient. Petrol engines waste most of their energy as heat. Electric motors use more than 80 percent of what they pull in. So you go further on less energy. Air quality is another big one. Cities are choking on vehicle pollution.
Swapping out petrol scooters, cabs, and buses for electric ones makes the air noticeably cleaner. It’s not just good for the environment, it’s good for your lungs. They’re also quiet. Sounds like a small detail, but lower noise levels in cities improve sleep, reduce stress, and make urban life a bit more bearable. Governments are taking notice.
India’s FAME II scheme, plus state-level support and local manufacturing incentives, are starting to push the market. But here’s the catch EVs don’t pollute on the road. But the electricity they use still comes from somewhere.
If your grid is powered by coal, you’re still feeding emissions into the system. Just not through a tailpipe. Then there’s the battery. Mining lithium, cobalt, and nickel takes a serious toll on the environment. Add in questionable labour practices and water usage, and you’ve got a problem that doesn’t go away just because the car is electric.
In fact, building one EV battery can create more emissions than building an entire petrol engine. It only starts to make climate sense after years of clean use—and that’s assuming the power source is clean. So no, EVs aren’t the full solution. They just shift some of the problem out of sight. If we’re serious about this, we need to think bigger The real goal isn’t just cleaner cars. It’s fewer cars. That means better public transport. Electric buses that replace dozens of private vehicles. Metros powered by renewables.
Infrastructure that actually supports walking and cycling. Safer roads for bikes. Smarter urban planning that reduces the need for long commutes. It also means rethinking how goods move. Delivery vans, freight trucks, and ride-share fleets log far more miles than your personal car. If you want real impact, start there.
Charging is still a mess ask anyone with an EV in India. Charging is inconvenient, inconsistent, and often unavailable outside major cities. That has to change. We need more stations. But also better ones. Faster charging. Smarter grid integration. Ideas like battery swapping and solar charging hubs need more support, especially in rural areas where power cuts are common.
And don’t forget the grid. Millions of new electric vehicles will push it hard. Unless it’s upgraded and powered by clean energy, we’re just shifting emissions from roads to smokestacks. Cost is still a barrier Right now, most EVs are too expensive for the average household. Especially four-wheelers. That’s where better financing models come in. EMIs. Battery leasing. Subscriptions. But even more important is making sure these options reach everyone, not just city dwellers with disposable income.
Government support has to go beyond one-time subsidies. We need rules that push commercial fleet electrification. Investments in R&D. Skill-building programs for EV servicing. And smart policy that brings rural and tier-2 India into the fold. So what’s the bottom line?
EVs won’t fix everything. But they’re a big step forward. They can reduce emissions, clean up city air, and shift the market toward cleaner energy. But they can’t do it alone. If we want a real low-carbon transport system, we need fewer cars, better infrastructure, smarter cities, and policies that make clean mobility accessible to everyone. EVs are a tool. A good one. But we have to stop treating them like the endgame. The real challenge is rethinking how we move—altogether.
