Bengaluru, January 30: Two lithium battery- manufacturing plants would be set up in Karnataka to promote e-vehicles in order to reduce air pollution, Deputy Chief Minister of the state C N Ashwath Narayan said on Saturday. The state was also preparing an exemplary energy policy, he said.

Speaking after launching an e-vehicle rally organised by the Rotary Club here, Narayana said one unit would be established in Hubballi region and the other near Chikkaballapura. The state had implemented an e-vehicle policy in 2018 for the first time in the country, he said. Tesla Begins Deliveries for China-Made Model Y Electric Cars: Report.

A discount has been given to consumers - Rs 5 per unit is being charged in the place of Rs 9 per unit which is the rate of electricity for commercial use. Noting that the days are not far off when the manufacturers would be producing vehicles without fuel tanks/batteries, the Deputy Chief Minister said the consumers can use the pre-charged batteries on a hiring basis. To facilitate this, 'battery banks' would be set up across the state. The banks work in a similar fashion as that of petrol bunks, he said.

"This will also make e-vehicles cheaper," he said. The e-vehicle manufacturing sector is growing rapidly and this may result in the extinction of petrol or diesel-driven vehicles in the next 10 years, Narayan was quoted as saying in a press release.

The state government is boosting this sector and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) has been made to work as the nodal agency for establishing more charging stations, he said. BESCOM has already set up 150 charging stations and collaborated with NTPC to establish 150 more such stations, he added.