

Energy crisis may accelerate EV uptake, sharpen focus on ethanol blending
VinFast and homegrown Ola Electric have offered discounts to wean consumers away from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that run on diesel and petrol, with analysts saying the energy crisis could push fence-sitters towards EVs.The crisis has also renewed focus on the Centre’s plans to go beyond the 20% ethanol blending in petrol, with executives indicating that higher blends and flex-fuel vehicles may see faster rollouts as they can cut the country's imports of crude oil.According to analysts at Nomura, crude oil price rise due to the current crisis can make the total cost of ownership equation even more attractive for electric vehicles, which can boost EV sales in the short term.“One beneficiary of higher oil prices could be a quicker shift in consumer sentiment towards EVs. Thus, EV [players] are likely to benefit,” Kapil Singh and Siddhartha Bera of Nomura wrote in a 9 March note.Retail fuel prices have remained steady so far, but risks of an increase persist if the conflict drags on, according to experts.EV sales in the country rose 77% year-on-year in calendar 2025 to nearly 177,000 units, with their share in total sales reaching 4%.
EVs attract a goods and services tax (GST) of 5% and are typically costlier than ICE vehicles. However, the government reduced GST on ICE vehicles last year from 28–50% to 18–40%, widening the price gap with EVs and reducing their relative cost advantage.
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