NEW DELHI: The Delhi government is considering extending the existing Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, which expired on July 15. According to sources, the new policy that was expected to replace the existing one this month is still in the works.
“The existing EV Policy might get extended for another three months,” the sources added. The EV Policy has been extended multiple times under both the previous AAP government and the current government led by the BJP. In June, Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh had said the government plans to roll out the EV Policy 2.0 by July. According to sources, the government is exploring multiple options before finalising the EV Policy 2.0.
It could also hold a stakeholder consultation to get feedback on the new policy. There is also a possibility that the government could put a draft of the EV Policy 2.0 in the public domain and seek public feedback. Launched in August 2020 as one of the key initiatives of the previous AAP government, the policy aimed to tackle vehicular pollution and push the adoption of electric vehicles to 25 per cent by 2024. Although its initial three-year term ended in August 2023, the government decided to extend it.
According to the draft of the EV Policy 2.0, its primary objective is to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles to reduce pollution. It proposes to cover mass categories such as two-wheelers, buses, three-wheelers, and goods carriers, to transition them to electric vehicles.
The draft policy also outlines a series of incentives to boost EV adoption. Women riders may be offered a subsidy of up to Rs 36,000 on the purchase of an electric two-wheeler.
Similarly, to encourage the use of electric two-wheelers, the government may offer a purchase incentive of Rs 10,000 per kilowatt-hour, capped at Rs 30,000 per vehicle.