Winter temperatures can drop to as low as -8°C, cold enough to freeze batteries and reduce driving range by up to 20 per cent.
These conditions, experts say, discourage potential buyers who already have concerns about reliability and maintenance.
CALLS FOR LOCAL EV POLICY
Observers said many of these challenges could be mitigated with a comprehensive EV roadmap tailored to the region.
High fuel prices and worsening air quality make the need for a local EV policy more pressing than ever, they added.
However, lawmaker Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who is the former chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly’s environment committee, said he believes environmental issues are not a priority due to political uncertainty in the region.
Kashmir is disputed between India, Pakistan and China, each administering parts of the region.
On having a local EV policy, Tarigami added: “We will, along with other concerned citizens, try to do it, and make it happen and persuade the authorities … that they must evolve a comprehensive policy which is applicable (and) results-oriented.”
Analysts say that with a clear policy framework and targeted investment, Kashmir could become one of India’s most sustainable clean-mobility hubs.
But for now, it risks being left behind in the country’s electric revolution.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/electric-vehicles-evs-indian-administered-kashmir-stall-5486211
