Date: January 02, 2024. — The Delhi government has announced that it will extend its electric vehicle (EV) policy by three months, from December 31, 2023 to March 31, 2024. The decision was taken to provide relief to EV buyers who are waiting for the notification of the new EV policy 2.0, which is in the final stages of approval.
Authorities implemented the current EV policy in August 2020. It aims to boost the proportion of electric vehicles in total vehicle registrations in Delhi to 25% by 2024. The policy offers various incentives and subsidies to electric vehicle (EV) buyers. These include 5,000 per kWh of battery capacity for two-wheelers and 30,000 per vehicle for three-wheelers. Additionally, for four-wheelers, there is a subsidy of 10,000 per kWh of battery capacity, subject to a maximum of 1.5 lakh, and this is applicable only to the first 1,000 electric cars.
According to the transport minister Kailash Gahlot, the extension of the policy will ensure that all the benefits under the existing policy will continue until the new policy is notified. He also said that the new policy will be more comprehensive. It will include provisions for affordable vehicle retrofitting, charging infrastructure development, and public awareness campaigns.
According to the Delhi administration, the EV strategy has been successful in increasing the usage of electric vehicles in the city. Buyers purchased a total of 129,000 EVs in Delhi between August 2020 and June 2023. Out of these, 118,000 were two-wheelers, 9,000 were three-wheelers, and 2,000 were four-wheelers. In addition, the government added 800 electric buses to its fleet of 3,700 public buses. The government also intends to purchase entirely electric buses in the future.
The extension of the EV policy is expected to accelerate the transition to clean and green mobility in Delhi. Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The government hopes to promote electric vehicles. It also aims to reduce vehicular emissions that contribute to air pollution and climate change.
