The cost of electric vehicles will be at par with petrol-run ones within the next two years, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said in Parliament on Tuesday, according to PTI.

Gadkari made the statement while addressing the Lok Sabha on the demands for grants to his ministry for 2022-2023.

The minister said that technological advances and “green fuel” will bring down the cost of electric vehicles. “I can say [that] within maximum two years, the cost of electric scooter, car, autorickshaw will be same as petrol-driven scooter, car, autorickshaw,” he said.

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Gadkari urged members of Parliament to undertake initiatives to produce hydrogen from sewage water. He added that hydrogen will soon be the cheapest fuel alternative.

The minister also said that India’s road infrastructure will be like that of the United States by December 2024. “Since I began working in this field, I have always kept a statement by [former United States president] John F Kennedy in mind – ‘American roads are not good because America is rich. America is rich because American roads are good,” he said.

Gadkari also said that all toll collection points within 60 km of each other on national highways will be closed in the next three months. He added that the government will provide passes to people who live near toll booths based on their Aadhaar cards.

In his speech, Gadkari also touched upon several other points, including the ones below:

  • Six airbags will be made compulsory for all vehicles that have a passenger capacity of up to eight passengers, irrespective of the model, variant and cost of vehicle.
  • Road projects worth Rs 62,000 crore have been undertaken in Delhi in order to ease traffic, Gadkari claimed, according to Mint. He said these projects will also ease pollution in the National Capital.
  • The minister added that the government will equip highways with about 650 amenities. “They would include dedicated AC rooms for lactating mothers to feed their child, washrooms, trauma center, helipad for helicopter ambulance among others,” he told the Lok Sabha.