NEW DELHI: Delhi’s electric mobility push appears to be stalling, with a steep drop in electric vehicle registrations raising concerns about the city’s clean transport ambitions. Once hailed as a frontrunner in the EV adoption race, the capital is now grappling with the aftershocks of subsidy withdrawal.
In December 2023, electric vehicles accounted for 19.5 per cent of total vehicle sales in the city. But in July 2025, that figure collapsed to just 4.8 per cent, according to official data. While total vehicle registrations rose to 67,000 last month, only 3,425 of them were electric.
The reversal has been linked to the discontinuation of subsidies that were previously passed on to buyers, said officials. These incentives, provided under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy, were halted in January 2024, during the tenure of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Though the AAP extended the policy framework, no financial benefits were disbursed throughout the year.
Later, the new BJP government further dashed hopes of reviving the subsidies, as it did not announce the resumption of cash benefits—despite extending the existing EV policy until March next year.
Officials pointed out that EV registrations over the past four months have fallen below 2022 levels, when the market was still recovering from COVID-19 disruptions.
Additionally, Delhi buyers are increasingly turning to neighbouring states offering extra incentives, further slowing electric mobility adoption in the national capital.
“Electric cars in Uttar Pradesh are now cheaper by up to `3 lakh due to local incentives. Many Delhi residents are opting to register their vehicles in NCR districts like Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar to cash in on those benefits. This trend is causing Delhi to lose EV registrations,” a transport official said.
If subsidies are not resumed, the current trajectory could derail Delhi’s target of making 25 per cent of all vehicle sales electric, as outlined in its EV policy.