Environmental pollution in India is at its peak. As per the global climate change performance index (CCPI), India ranks in the 10th spot, which means India is at a high risk of climate change. Thus, to solve this problem, the Indian government has decided to adopt e-mobility and promote electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce pollution. Electric vehicles have low running costs and are also very environmentally friendly. The Indian electrical automobile market has seen a huge spike in the last decade. Though India has not pledged to phase out conventionally fuelled vehicles by a certain year, it has an ambitious target of having more than 30% of total vehicles on the road to be electric or hybrid in the coming decade. This will potentially allow India to save on crude oil imports of $14 billion. One can join the electrical vehicle employee community from any background, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Vehicles is one of them. Here are some of the future aspects of pursuing a BE in electrical vehicle technology:
With more opportunities available, a student who has graduated in electrical vehicles can pursue a professional specialisation to further their knowledge and skills. Whereas entry-level engineers can start their careers as assistants to more senior engineers and can take extra courses to keep pace with the rapidly changing technology of e-mobility.
Industries like Tata Motors, Mahindra Electric, Hyundai, Ashok Leyland, etc. have proposed installing electric vehicle charging stations throughout India. With the motto “Charging points for all – plugging the gap”, electrical engineering undergraduates can get immense opportunities to work and gain experience in these charging stations in the upcoming months.
Graduates in the electrical engineering branch have great opportunities in the research and development sector as well. Electric vehicles mainly face issues with the size of the batteries, the performance of the batteries, and the time required to charge these batteries. Thus, battery performance improvements are the main area of research for these students.
Vehicle design is a complex domain since it involves a number of attributes. The design of electrical vehicles is one field where students can show their creative side. The same principles are applied in both electric vehicles as well as IC-engine vehicles. Electrical engineers can improve the present design by improving the motor, braking system, batteries, lights of the electric vehicle, onboard chargers, and other gadgets used in it. Design engineers are also in high demand for other purposes, such as interior space, active and passive safety, connectivity, etc.
The maintenance of electric vehicles requires electric workshops. The development of these workshops will be needed all the time in the upcoming years. This maintenance involves a frequent check on the batteries and electronic accessories present in the electric vehicle. These workshops can be for different sectors. The workshops for two-wheeler EVs, three-wheeler EVs, four-wheeler EVs, and public transport EVs will all be different. Students can choose to work in any of these sectors according to their areas of interest and expertise. In India, the most lucrative market will be for two-wheeler EVs as they play a major role in the country’s overall mobility.
A complete electrical vehicle to be made requires a whole ecosystem to come together. It needs motor manufacturers to step in, and battery manufacturing has to take place. Today, it is the only battery assembly in India, which means that the cells are imported from the outside and assembled in India. In order to improve this, there is a need for skilled professionals who can not only assemble the batteries but also manufacture them in India itself.
Before getting into industries after doing B.E, students learn in the classrooms. Students are allowed only when teachers are present. In order to make more electric vehicles in the future, the nation needs more electrical engineers to teach and pass on the same skillsets to the next generations. Thus, one can also pursue higher studies in the same subject and become a professor to teach future generations. Doing a master’s and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering can help the students bag a great package as professors at the best institutes in India and abroad.
There is a myth of job losses because of e-mobility coming in and IC engines going out, but this surely is not the case. Look at the sector that is of your interest in the E-mobility ecosystem and focus on that because, eventually, everything in E-mobility is going to grow. Take short courses online to understand what exactly is happening in the system and then choose your sector within it. Take a taste of all the sectors from these short courses and then decide. E-mobility will require people from all walks of life.
Autonomous driving, or self-driving vehicles, will come to India at some point in time, if not very soon. But countries like the USA, Japan, South Korea, etc. have started adapting to autonomous driving and this sector will see a boon in the future. Students from electric vehicle backgrounds can pursue jobs abroad in autonomous driving sectors too.
India aims to achieve its vision of running 100% electric vehicles on the road by 2030. The development of electrical mobility in India in the last few years is commendable and will be continued by innovations in the coming years. The upcoming decade will be the era of electrical mobility not just in India but in the whole world. The prices of the batteries have already dropped by 70%, which means that eventually, electric cars will be budget-friendly as compared to IC-engined cars. The electric vehicle future in India is bright and dynamic.
About Chitkara University
Chitkara University, situated near Chandigarh (India) has emerged as the most vibrant and high-ranking university in North India which has been ranked A+ by the NAAC. With state-of-the-art infrastructure, scientifically driven pedagogy, strong industry collaborations, and 120+ working associations from schools across the world, Chitkara University not only attracts the finest students from across the nation but with its seamless placement support, it is also able to help them carve high growth careers.
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