Let us start by understanding what electric cars and BS6 cars are.
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The BS6 Car- Any car that runs on traditional fuels (petrol or diesel) emits pollutants. The Indian government has established Emission Standards, which set limits on the emission of pollutants released into the atmosphere. Bharat Stage-VI (BS6) is the current emission standard implemented across India for Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles. According to this norm, all new cars manufactured after April 1, 2020, must be BS6 compliant. Click here to read more about BS6 vehicles.
The Electric Car- One or multiple motors drive the electric car instead of the conventional ICE engine. The motor draws electric power from rechargeable batteries.
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The first ICE engine was created in 1876. Ever since, until now of course, ICEs have been the undisputed champion. Manufacturers have broken down every part in the ICE but found few limitations hard or impossible to break.
But with the advent of EVs (Electric Vehicles), the champion has been hunted in many departments, seemingly so, that the iconic Rolls Royce has announced that the brand will only produce completely electric cars by 2030.
So, does that make electric cars the obvious winner here? Let us look at the advantages and disadvantages of each car type and find out.
1) Convenience
Refuelling is very convenient for BS6 cars. The typical refuelling time is only around 5 mins. In case of electric cars, you will have to wait 30-60 mins at a manufacturer acclaimed fast charging station to charge your car to 100%. If you use a regular charger at home, the charging time might shoot up to 24 hours.
Also, as an advantage for BS6 cars, fuel stations are readily available, and one should not be worried about driving range when it comes to owning a BS6 car.
2) Emissions
Electric cars are completely emission free. This comes as a huge boon to the Governments and to the environmentalists all over the world. If all the cars in the world were electric, 24% of all C02 emissions due to combustion would become zero. Governments have thus come up with incentives to encourage sales of electric vehicles. The Indian Government has introduced incentives through the FAME scheme for electric cars and electric bikes.
3) Cost Efficiency
Electric cars are new to the market. They run on technologies that are very new and cutting edge. The materials used in electric cars are also sophisticated, adding to the large price tag compared to its BS6 ICE counterpart. Your cheap local mechanic can fix your ICE for major or minor issues. Whereas for an electric car, maintenance issues are scarce, but expensive. But if you do get one, as to where it stands today, you might have to wait for your turn at the costlier manufacturer’s service centre!
4) Power to PerformBS6 cars must convert power generated in the combustion engine into rotatory motion. On the contrary, electric cars generate rotatory motion to begin with. This reduces number of parts and provides us greater power. It shows on records as most of the cars that can achieve 0 to 60 mph in under 2.0 seconds are electric.
How power is converted in a 4- stroke ICE engine
How power is converted in electric vehicles
5) Selection Range
According to a report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance, only 3% of all cars sold are electric, worldwide. This stat is underlined by the fact that production of BS6 cars are far greater than that of electric cars making the selection range of BS6 cars vast and wide. The writing on the wall right now is that you are only left with a handful of EVs.
6) Ride Comfort 
Fewer moving parts in electric vehicles paves way for low centre of gravity, improving handling, responsiveness and ride comfort. It also makes the cars quieter and smoother, providing a more refined experience. Driving in traffic also becomes easier as these cars provide you instant torque, making your car accelerate much faster.
The Verdict!
Both the BS6 cars and the electric cars have their fair bit of advantages.
• If you are looking for a car of resonable cost, with readily available fuel stations, you can consider buying a BS6 car.
• If you are looking for a car that offers maximum performance, with long term consideration into the future, you can consider buying an EV car.
The choice is yours!