BRICS+ and mass mobility as lodestar for EV policy

Source: Hindustan Times | Original Published At: 2026-09-12 00:47:37 UTC

Key Points

• Fourteen of BRICS+’s 21 economies, representing 84% of the bloc’s combined population, import more oil than they produce.
• Energy security is on the agenda of the 18th BRICS summit in Delhi, alongside resilience, innovation, and sustainability.
• Road transport drives roughly 45% of global oil demand, making electric mobility a relevant policy lever for BRICS+ economies.
• Early EV policies often favored private passenger cars, but at least seven BRICS+ economies are broadening support toward transport modes used more by lower- and middle-income households.
• India’s electric two-wheeler policies, including FAME and PM E-DRIVE, helped raise e-two-wheeler penetration from 0.4% in early 2021 to 11.2% by July 2026.
• Indonesia’s e-motorcycle subsidy increased sales from about 11,500 in 2023 to 60,000 in 2024, but sales fell when the incentive lapsed before support was restored.
• China had about 544,000 e-buses by end-2024, over 80% of its urban bus fleet, while India’s PM-eBus Sewa supports nearly 10,000 e-buses across 115 cities.