EVs: Green, But Not So Clean

The story on electric vehicles, The Cost Of Green Mobility, was refreshing for a change. Even more spectacular was the cover design. It looked almost like an auto magazine, reviewing cars for a change. In fact, you had a tail light section as well, a few years ago. I always looked forward to the reviews.

We all know cars are not an investment, but rather an expenditure. Still, people in India almost always buy cars as investments—investment as a  lifestyle statement. EVs have become very popular of late, and your in-depth analysis was an eye-opener.

Now the government has to reduce the huge price differential in respect of petrol and diesel cars, set the infrastructure right, and ensure that the electricity grid is absolutely robust if Indians are to start driving electric vehicles on a larger scale. Then there’s also the point of electricity generation through coal or nuclear power plants.

I just hope we don’t end up adding to coal or nuclear pollution for the sake of generating electricity to run our electric cars. Then, it could become another white elephant like biodiesel from jatropha plants.

Jasmeen Gulati, email

RBI Rate Hiked

The government has been hiking the interest rate regularly, but the deposit rates haven’t seen that much of an upward swing. In fact, the markets have shown indication of a rough ride for quite some time now, and this would continue if the Reserve Bank of India hikes repo rate further. The Russia-Ukraine war, the oil price crisis are all external factors over which the central bank has no control. The worrisome idea is that successive interest rate hikes could affect stock market sentiment and bleed it. Consequently, this will adversely affect the government’s plans of disinvestment, too. At the same time, the government has reduced the interest on Employees’ Provident Fund. Things will be difficult for the common man in the days to come.

Rajesh Madan, email

Crypto Conundrum

I am a senior citizen and old-school in matters of investment. Like most from my generation, I have invested in sovereign bonds, some life insurance policies, and a few mutual funds and shares. I have lived with the adage, cut your cloth according to your coat.

Now, when I see my grandchildren, I feel happy as to how much financially aware their generation is, but at the same time, I get increasingly worried that they are getting drawn to intangible things like cryptocurrency, which I believe is nothing but a bubble waiting to implode.  

Jayant Vagadia, email