UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Never too soon to switch to an electric vehicle
Q1. In assessments of the lifecycle emissions of electric vehicles, the expression 'carbon debt' refers to which one of the following?
- A. The excess greenhouse gas emissions incurred upfront in producing the vehicle, chiefly its battery, which are subsequently offset by lower emissions during its use
- B. The quantity of certified emission reduction units a vehicle manufacturer must surrender to the regulator for every non-electric vehicle it continues to sell
- C. The cumulative emissions from generating the electricity consumed by the vehicle at charging points over its entire operating life
- D. The residual emissions that remain unabated after the vehicle's battery and body materials have been recovered through end-of-life recycling
Q2. According to recent lifecycle assessments of passenger cars, which one of the following is the single largest determinant of how quickly a battery electric vehicle's lifetime emissions fall below those of an equivalent petrol vehicle?
- A. The carbon intensity of the electricity mix used for charging in the country of operation
- B. The kerb weight of the vehicle relative to the equivalent internal combustion model
- C. The efficiency of the regenerative braking system fitted to the drivetrain
- D. The ambient temperature range prevailing over the vehicle's operating life
Q3. Under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, the procurement of electric buses for deployment in major cities is routed through which one of the following entities?
- A. Convergence Energy Services Limited, a public sector undertaking working on demand aggregation for clean energy assets
- B. Energy Efficiency Services Limited, the public sector joint venture set up for implementing energy efficiency projects
- C. Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited, the non-banking financial company financing clean energy projects
- D. National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project, the testing and certification network for the automotive sector
Q4. With reference to the components supported under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme, consider the following:
1. Electric ambulances
2. Electric trucks
3. Demand incentives for privately owned electric four-wheeler passenger cars
4. Upgradation of vehicle testing agencies
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as components of the scheme?
- Electric ambulances
- Electric trucks
- Demand incentives for privately owned electric four-wheeler passenger cars
- Upgradation of vehicle testing agencies
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q5. Phase-I of the FAME India Scheme was structured around how many distinct focus areas?
- A. Three
- B. Four
- C. Five
- D. Six
Q6. The principal focus of Phase-II of the FAME India Scheme was on which one of the following?
- A. Supporting the electrification of public and shared transportation in the country
- B. Establishing domestic manufacturing capacity for advanced chemistry cell batteries
- C. Retrofitting existing internal combustion engine vehicles with electric powertrain kits
- D. Upgrading the testing and certification agencies of the automotive sector
Q7. Consider the following statements regarding the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS), 2024 and how it compared with the schemes preceding and succeeding it:
1. Unlike FAME India Phase-II, which extended demand incentives to electric four-wheeler passenger cars and electric buses as well, EMPS 2024 confined its incentives to electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
2. EMPS 2024 was notified for an initial period of four months from 1 April 2024, with an outlay of Rs.500 crore.
3. When EMPS 2024 was subsequently extended by two months up to 30 September 2024, its outlay was reduced to Rs.778 crore from its original allocation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike FAME India Phase-II, which extended demand incentives to electric four-wheeler passenger cars and electric buses as well, EMPS 2024 confined its incentives to electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
- EMPS 2024 was notified for an initial period of four months from 1 April 2024, with an outlay of Rs.500 crore.
- When EMPS 2024 was subsequently extended by two months up to 30 September 2024, its outlay was reduced to Rs.778 crore from its original allocation.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. Under EMPS 2024 as originally notified, the largest number of vehicles was targeted for support in which one of the following categories?
- A. Electric two-wheelers registered for commercial as well as private use
- B. Electric three-wheelers falling in the L5 category of motor vehicles
- C. Electric rickshaws and electric carts used for passenger and goods movement
- D. Electric buses procured for city operations through demand aggregation
Q9. Which one of the following has been designated the Central Nodal Agency for the rollout of public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in India?
- A. Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the statutory body under the Ministry of Power
- B. Central Electricity Authority, the statutory body advising on power system planning
- C. Convergence Energy Services Limited, the public sector demand aggregation company
- D. Automotive Research Association of India, the testing and certification body for vehicles
Q10. Consider the following pairs of institutions and their roles in India's electric mobility ecosystem:
1. Ministry of Heavy Industries — nodal ministry administering demand incentives under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme
2. Ministry of Power — issues the consolidated guidelines and standards for electric vehicle charging infrastructure
3. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways — notifies and periodically updates the safety standards for electric vehicle traction batteries
4. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy — designated Central Nodal Agency for the rollout of public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?
- Ministry of Heavy Industries — nodal ministry administering demand incentives under the PM E-DRIVE Scheme
- Ministry of Power — issues the consolidated guidelines and standards for electric vehicle charging infrastructure
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways — notifies and periodically updates the safety standards for electric vehicle traction batteries
- Ministry of New and Renewable Energy — designated Central Nodal Agency for the rollout of public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 1 and 4 only
Q11. India's updated Nationally Determined Contribution, which translates the Panchamrit announcements into formal climate targets, is communicated to the UNFCCC by which one of the following?
- A. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the nodal ministry for climate change matters
- B. Ministry of External Affairs, which handles India's engagement with multilateral treaty bodies
- C. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, which administers the non-fossil capacity expansion programmes
- D. NITI Aayog, the policy think tank coordinating sectoral transition roadmaps for the Government