With the ever rising prices of fuel is a thing of the past, the
new fad of electric vehicles is exponentially growing in Goa. The youth who
have been long obsessed with car toy brands like Hot Wheels and remote-controlled
cars are now showing off their new vehicles around their peers while others
think it’s still a start up in Goa and doesn’t deserve the hype that it is
receiving just yet.
Farheen Shaikh, a resident of Panjim,
praises the benefits of the electric powered vehicles while also highlighting
an important factor among the youth. He shares, “It’s a great innovation to
help us contribute to saving the environment by limiting the emission of
harmful gases released by motor vehicles, run on petrol and diesel. But when
today’s youth purchase a bike, the key factor they are looking for is for the
thrill and loud exhaust sound which is unavailable in the existing e-vehicles
in the market. The convenience of a gas station to refill their bike is more
likely enjoyed than charging your e-vehicle, as there is a lack of e-stations
in Goa today. Keeping all these factors in mind, owning a motor vehicle is
still more flexible than having an e-vehicle,” says Farheen.
Raj Shetkar, a student from Don Bosco College, Panjim who’s
passionate about road trips, says, “There is no craze as such because the bikes
are still not up to the mark as compared to motorbikes. This is because of the
less speed, bad looks and poor quality.”
A class 12 student at Sharada Mandir Higher Secondary School,
Miramar, Vanshika Jain informs that among her peer group, there hasn’t been
much talk. “Goa seems too comfortable and slow to adapt to e-bikes this soon
and motorbikes do have a good look momentarily. In the future, maybe that will
change but as of now I think people would love to have motorbikes as much as
they do e-bikes.”
Kevin Michael Fernandes, a BCom graduate of St Xavier’s College,
Mapusa confirms there has been a craze for e-bikes which has been becoming more
prominent. He says, “There are still a few years to go until more people switch
to electric vehicles. Once more electric vehicles enter the market, the
competition will increase thus pricing will also be competitive. A nationwide
charging network should also be a priority of the government besides offering
subsidies in order to motivate consumers to switch to electric.”
There has been a craze for e-vehicles in Goa for quite a while
now, especially e-scooters as they are affordable. Rising fuel prices is not
the only reason for this move to e-vehicles. “In today’s world, everyone looks
to have a status in society and e-vehicles help uplift us to some extent. Some
brands offer features like a touch screen, reverse mode, no key operation,
speakers, navigation, cruise control, etc which even some of the more expensive
scooters and motorbikes don’t offer. With regards to electric cars there is
still a lot of uncertainty in the minds of Indian consumers. High initial
costs, range anxiety and an inadequate network of charging stations are some of
the main reasons. Statistics show that most consumers who own an electric car
come from the upper class and also have another combustion engine vehicle as
their primary vehicle,” he adds.
Ishita Rao, a mass communication student at Don Bosco College,
Panjim says, “I wouldn’t call it a craze for electric vehicles but perhaps
people are becoming aware of things like taking care of the environment and
also understanding that e-vehicles can save a great deal of money that goes for
the fuel in a regular bike.” She states that the bike fulfils its purpose and
ticked the boxes of its convenient features. She says, “I have my own electric
bike. It’s easy to ride, and it’s ideal for running errands in town or a trip
to the beach. It has some features that a standard bike may not have. It’s safe
and suitable for beginners. It is not as fast as a standard motorcycle, but it
gets you where you need to go. Isn’t that the ultimate goal?”
Satyadev Naik, resident of Curchorem and owner of an e-bike,
agrees that there is a developing craze in Goa as there are more on the streets
each day. He says, “In our municipality, we got an EV car for the
transportation of our chairperson. The world is changing where instead of
revving engines of bikes and cars, people choose silent motors. EVs are good,
clean, non-polluting, and quiet, so no noise pollution. Getting an EV is a
smart move, as it is the future of the world. Also, the government is providing
subsidies to ease the cost of EV vehicles.”
After
going over the pros, Satyadev pinpoints the lack of charging stations. He
states, “However, there is now a small snag in India. The only, very minor,
issue is that there aren’t enough charging stations available. This will
undoubtedly get better over time, of course. But there can be a difficulty when
travelling a great distance. But in Goa it doesn’t matter much cause everything
is nearby.”
