New Delhi. Delhi government has decided to extend its electric vehicle (EV) policy till 31 March 2025. Under this decision, electric vehicles purchased from January 1, 2024 will get the benefit of subsidy and exemption in road tax. This initiative is an important step towards controlling air pollution in the capital and promoting clean transportation modes.
The EV policy, launched in August 2020, was originally implemented for three years. Its aim was to increase the share of electric vehicles in Delhi to 25 percent by 2024. Although the new policy has not been finalized yet, work on Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0 is going on, from which further progress is expected in this area in future.
Under the extended policy, subsidies are being given for various types of electric vehicles. On purchasing e-cycle, a subsidy of 25 percent, the maximum limit of which has been fixed at ₹ 5,500, will be given. Subsidy of up to ₹30,000 will be available on commercial vehicles like e-rickshaws and e-carts. Additionally, electric two-wheelers will receive incentives at the rate of ₹5,000 per kWh, ranging up to ₹30,000, depending on battery capacity. E-light commercial vehicles are also being given a discount of up to ₹ 30,000.
In case of electric cars, subsidy was initially given at the rate of ₹10,000 per kWh according to battery capacity for the first 1,000 units, with a maximum limit of ₹1.5 lakh. This benefit ended in August 2021 itself. Now the Delhi government is expected to announce new guidelines in this segment.
Last year, a total of 6,57,312 vehicles were registered in Delhi, out of which 73,610 vehicles were electric. This figure indicates that the demand for electric vehicles is increasing rapidly in the capital. The government believes that the expansion of this policy will further accelerate the sales of electric vehicles and people will be motivated to adopt clean transportation options.
This step will not only help in reducing pollution levels in Delhi, but will also give rise to new possibilities in the electric vehicle market. The government hopes that this policy will play an important role in making the capital pollution free and maintaining environmental balance.
Tags: auto news, electric vehicles
FIRST PUBLISHED: November 30, 2024, 07:01 IST