Electric Auto

 Electric Vehicle

Just got down from the metro station and  decided to go home on an auto.In era of transport as service this phase of the travel is called as last mile connectivity. For last some years Electric autos have been regular on Bangalore roads.But this was the first time I got an opportunity to take a ride on an electric auto.On the way my impression was the interior was decent, vehicle made less noise and hardly any vibration. But the price charged was same as that for an petrol auto.

I started a conversation with the driver about the vehicle. To my surprise he was not happy with the vehicle. He informed me that, "He had a heart attack before covid and had no source of income during the lock down.Due to financial stress he suffered a stroke paralyzing left side of his body. Luckily he recovered but due to lack of strength in his arms he is not in a position to drive a geared vehicle.He sold his petrol auto and brought an electric auto which is easier to drive as there is no need to shift gears.An electric auto costed him around Rs 4 lac compared to Rs 3 lac for a Petrol Auto.At home the battery takes 4 hours to charge and costs around Rs 60.Same would cost around Rs 200 at a charging station".

 The vehicle manufacturer had promised a range of 120 km per charge but in actual the range is only 80 km. The problem with lower range is he is not able to go on long trips which would fetch him more money. Due to lower range he is not able to work longer.He is barley able to pay back a monthly EMI of Rs 9000 and buy some medicines with his meagre earnings.Now his only hope is to buy new electric autos with a range of 200 km which may take some years to actualize. He feels cheated by the manufacturer who claimed a higher range per charge. But what was remarkable for me was he wanted to work and earn and didn't complain about his bad health. I wonder what action can be taken against such manufactures? Can customers be compensated for the loss? Why would multi national manufacturer sell a product which doesnt meet specifications?