NEW DELHI: In response to the deteriorating air quality in the city, the Delhi Cabinet has extended the Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy until March 31 next year. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi announced the extension, highlighting the Cabinet’s decision to roll out pending subsidies and road tax exemptions from January 1, 2024.
“The Delhi Cabinet has today decided to restart the stalled Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy. Till 2019-20, only 4 percent of the vehicles registered in Delhi were electric vehicles, but after this progressive policy, today it has increased to 12 per cent, which is the highest in the country. When other parties could not implement such a policy in their states, this policy was stopped for months by sending Arvind Kejriwal to jail. Buyers did not get subsidies; there was no exemption on road tax,” Atishi said on X in Hindi.
.@ArvindKejriwal जी के मार्गदर्शन में आज दिल्ली कैबिनेट ने रुकी हुई “दिल्ली इलेक्ट्रिक व्हीकल पॉलिसी” को दोबारा शुरू करने का फैसला किया है।
2019-20 तक दिल्ली में रजिस्टर होने वाली गाड़ियों में मात्र 4% इलेक्ट्रिक गाड़ियाँ होती थी लेकिन इस प्रगतिशील पॉलिसी के बाद आज इनकी संख्या… pic.twitter.com/UcNobNuSWy
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) November 28, 2024
Following this announcement, electric vehicles purchased on January 1 or after will receive subsidies and road tax exemptions. Introduced in August 2020, the Delhi EV Policy offers a subsidy of Rs 5,000 per kWh of battery capacity (up to a maximum of Rs 30,000) for the purchase of an electric two-wheeler. Three-wheelers receive a flat subsidy of Rs 30,000 per vehicle, regardless of the total cost and battery capacity involved.
The policy also grants a scrapping incentive of Rs 5,000 for electric two-wheelers and Rs 7,500 for electric three-wheelers. Additionally, it offers an interest subsidy of 5 percent for two-wheelers, e-carts, and e-carriers for loans from the Delhi Finance Corporation and other approved finance providers.
This move comes amid flat electric car sales in the country over the past few months due to high prices and inadequate charging infrastructure. India currently has about 12,000 public charging stations, significantly fewer than the 87,000 fuel stations dispensing petrol and diesel.
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The extension of the Delhi EV Policy aims to address these challenges by incentivizing the adoption of electric vehicles, thereby reducing pollution and improving air quality in the city. As the policy continues to evolve, it is expected to play a crucial role in promoting sustainable transportation and achieving Delhi’s environmental goals.
The Delhi EV Policy, introduced in 2020, aims to reduce carbon emissions and raise awareness about the benefits of battery-powered vehicles. Since its implementation, the Delhi EV cell reports that the city has added 4,000 EV charging points. Currently, there are 300 electric buses in operation, with an additional 1,500 buses expected by the end of this year. The goal of having 8,000 electric buses by 2025 will significantly help Delhi reduce its carbon footprint and curb vehicular pollution.