No Need for ‘Green’ Cars, Says India’s Environment Czar

I guess the environment is the last thing in mind of Indian Environment minister.

The government's protector of all things green told a gathering of the best and brightest of India's booming auto industry that electric cars and biofuels are probably no good for India.

Mr. Ramesh told hundreds of auto executives and analysts assembled at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers annual conference that electric cars don't make sense in India even for "green" drivers. Not only are they too expensive to be practical but they also lead to more (mostly coal-generated) electricity consumption which hurts the environment as well.

"I would urge the auto sector not to treat the environment as a speed-breaker," he said.

Biofuels are also not the "silver bullet" for India's pollution problems, he said, because India needs to use its cropland to grow food not fuel. In India, automobiles only contribute around 7% of the country's greenhouse gasses.