FAME India Scheme: Environment Friendly Transport System

FAME India : Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India.

Why in News?

The Government of India has sanctioned 670 Electric buses in the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Chandigarh and 241 Charging Stations in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Port Blair under Phase-II of FAME India Scheme.

• The Government's commitment to reduce dependence on fossil fuel and to address issues of vehicular emissions.
• It is vision for eco-friendly public transportation.

Background:

A Clean Environment is the basic necessity for leading a healthy life. Thus environment protection is one of the biggest challenges the world is facing today. In India, the unchecked exploitation of natural resources had started to threaten the environment; to redeem the situation the Central Government is encouraging the use of electric vehicles for which it has launched a flagship scheme FAME India.

Why FAME India Scheme was Needed:

There were three factors which necessitated the FAME India Scheme:

First: The biggest cause of air pollution across the country, especially, in the megacities, is mission from vehicles running on diesel and petrol accounting for 61% of the total air pollution according to a study report.

Second: In the world, India is the fourth largest producer of vehicles running on fossil fuels. In the past decade, the number of such vehicles in the country has grown manifold.

Third: India is placed third in the world regarding the consumption of fossil fuels such as diesel and petrol, importing 83% of its needs.

All these factors prompted the launch of FAME India Scheme. Also to curb the unbridled air pollution, the Government following the EURO-VI emission standards put in place the BS-VI standards to replace BS-IV on April 1, 2020.

About FAME India Scheme:

💠 The first phase of FAME India in the period 2015-17. The phase targeted to increase the public acceptance and adoption of electric vehicles, and provided an impetus to electric cars and two wheeler hybrid vehicles.

💠 FAME India Scheme has two phases: 

• The first phase concluded on March 31, 2019.
• The Second Phase began on April 1, 2019 and will go on till March 31, 2022. It is aimed that when the nation celebrates the 75th anniversary of its Independence Day, electric vehicles form the largest share of the vehicles running on roads so that air pollution comes under control with the added benefit of saving of money and improved public health.

💠 Under the first phase of this scheme, 2,80,987 hybrid and electric vehicles were supported through demand encouragement at a cost of Rs. 359 Crore.

💠 The main aim of this scheme is to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emission. Under this scheme, nation-wide infrastructure will be created for replacing diesel and petrol vehicles with hybrid and electric two-wheelers, cars, three-wheelers, and light and heavy commercial vehicles.

💠 It is due to FAME India, we are able to save 52,794 litres of fuel every day.

💠 Rs 5,500 Crore subsidy for the first phase of FAME India.

💠 Rs 10,000 Crore subsidy approved for FAME India-II.

Also Read: Renewable Energy in India 

Achievements of FAME India:

• It reduced Carbon Dioxide by 20,05,91,605 kg (CO2 emission reduced by 1,30,835 kg per day).

• 50 million litres fuel saved so far since the beginning of the FAME India-1 scheme.

• 3.37 lakh electric vehicles sold so far.

• Government sanctioned 6,690 electric vehicles.

• 3,397 e-charging station set up across the country.

• 56,499 electric vehicles sold so far during the second phase of the Scheme.

• 8,06,46,229 litres of fuel saved since the launch of the scheme.

• 107 models of two-wheeler, three-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicles from 37 companies getting subsidy ranging from Rs 7,500 to Rs 2.5 Lakh.

BS-VI: One Year Journey:

According to a UN report, 70 lakh people lose their lives to air pollution in the world every year. To curb air pollution, the Central Government, beginning with April 1, 2020, introduced BS emission standards norms. The standard prescribed by the Government for vehicular emission are called BS i.e. Bharat Stage.

Based on European norms, these standards are decided by the Forest and Environment Ministry and Central Pollution Control Board. Emission standards, introduced in India in 1991, initially covered petrol-run vehicles only. BS standards were adopted in the year 2002 followed by BS-II in 2005, BS-III in 2006 and BS-IV standards in 2010. However, threatening promotions of air pollution in the past few years prompted the Government to skip the BS-V norms and straightway adopt BS-VI emission norms in 2020 beginning with Delhi.

Under BS-VI Norms: 

• New car engine will be designed to reduce emissions of harmful gases.

• The PM 2.5 particulate matter lie between 20 and 40 MGCM.

• BS-VI revised sulphur limit in fuel - 10mg/kg.

• After April 1, 2020, only vehicles complying with BS-VI emission standards can be sold in the country.

FAME India Scheme was launched to provide pollution-free transport to the people. It is getting good response not only from people but operators as well. The first pre-condition to end pollution is getting clean petrol and diesel therefore we started BS-VI. Now, every vehicle in the country is BS-VI complaints which has brought down pollution level up to 75-80%.

FAQs on FAME India Scheme:

1. How can we avail the benefit under the scheme?

Ans: When one buy an electric vehicle, he will get a cash discount equal to the incentive offered by the Government on that vehicle.

2. Is FAME India being implemented all over the country?

Ans: Yes. Its First phase was launched as a pilot project. Now, it is being implemented across the country. The incentive is being offered on not only two- and three-wheelers but four-wheelers as well.

3. Are electric vehicles purchased for commercial use eligible for the incentive?

Ans: Subsidy is being offered on Passenger electric cars uses as taxi. Only two-wheelers are getting subsidy for private use.

4. Are those buying more than one electric vehicle, eligible for the subsidy?

Ans: Yes, you can avail subsidy on as many electric vehicles as you buy.

5. Do we have to sell our petrol/diesel vehicles to get the subsidy under the FAME India Scheme?

Ans: No. The guidelines at present do not impose

any such condition.

6. Are the electric/hybrid vehicles available in market safe to drive?

Ans: All the vehicles selected under FAME India meet stringent standards and are absolutely safe to drive.

Also Read: Solar Energy in India

Source: PIB