India, Oct. 1 -- For ten years, India's argument about clean mobility has worked like a knockout tournament, with every fuel and every policy backing a favourite. A new study from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), "Comparative Assessment of Vehicular Fuels in India's Energy Transition", should end that contest. The study compares petrol, diesel, CNG, LNG and electric vehicles across six vehicle segments, nine locations and four time horizons up to 2050. It finds that no fuel comes out on top everywhere.

The details are what matter. On cost of ownership, electric scooters, motorcycles and autorickshaws already win. High daily use, cheap electricity and low maintenance quickly pay back their higher purchase price. That advantage s...