Cars, scooters, and motorbikes powered by internal combustion engines will soon be replaced by battery-operated electrical vehicles, or EVs. This is the statement that we have been hearing for the past few years. But this "soon" is not coming to pass. There are several obstacles in the way of EV adoption. Let's examine each one separately.
Automobile lobby
Manufacturers of cars with internal combustion engines currently on the market are silently and tacitly opposing EVs. Their financial commitment to the production of conventional cars worries them. They have begun investing gradually in the infrastructure needed for EV production. But abandoning current plants is a difficult decision for them.
Customers switching to EV
Persuading a buyer to sell their IC engine car for a new electric vehicle is a difficult task. The government must set up a "scrap allowance" to incentivize consumers to switch to electric vehicles.
Local vs. global manufacturing of batteries
To manufacture or assemble batteries locally, a significant financial investment is required. If local firms don't see a return on investment (ROI) in three to five years, they will be unwilling to participate. The cost of EVs will increase if batteries are imported from other countries.
Alternating Current (AC) vs. Direct Current (DC)
The electricity system produces AC, and in order to charge EV batteries, we need DC. A converter is required to change AC current into DC current. This conversion produces harmonics, which are distorted sine waves. Harmonics threaten the stability of the electric grid. Electronic equipment in your home may be harmed by harmonics. If someone in your housing complex starts charging an EV battery, don't be shocked if your refrigerator or TV stops working.
Charging Stations
The government must build charging stations at predetermined intervals, like every three kilometers. It requires significant government investment. It will take more than 15 to 20 years to get an ROI.
Peak load on grid
Farmers in India are being encouraged by state electrical authorities to use their water pumps at midnight, or outside of peak hours. For it, state electrical bodies are providing prices at a discount. In a similar vein, owners of electric vehicles must schedule battery charging at off-peak times to ensure that the electric grid is not overloaded during peak usage. It is required of state power boards to set up discounted rates for off-peak times.
Starting current vs. running current
Due to the inertia of an electric motor, the starting current will be higher than the running current. If you stop and start your EV a lot, the battery will run out sooner. Furthermore, the battery can only operate in the "run" phase of an electric vehicle when it is about to discharge. Then the EV cannot be started from a stop. In this situation, you must manually "push start" the EV.
Recycling/scrapping old batteries
Plans for recycling and disposing of old batteries must be made by the government. It would harm the ecosystem otherwise.
Battery cost v/s EV cost
In toy cars, we insert dry cells separately. EV will have similar arrangements like toy cars. The only difference will be the cost of batteries will be much higher than cars. EV manufacturing will have less importance than battery manufacturing. This is one of the reasons why automobile manufacturers are silently and tacitly opposing EVs.