E-vehicle makers get notice over registration fee
BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court issued notice to the State and Central governments, and five electric vehicle manufactuers and retailers while hearing a PIL that drew the court’s attention to the loss caused to the government due to issue of certificates by the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) that allowed exemption from registration charges.
Hearing the PIL filed by advocate Prasad KR Rao, a division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice M Nagaprasanna issued notice to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway, Department of Transport and Road Safety and ARAI. E-vehicle manufacturers and retailers which were issued notice include Ampere Vehicles Private Limited, Pure Energy Private Limited, Super Eco Automotive Company Limited, Okinawa Autotech Private Limited and Tunwal E Vehicle India Private Limited.
The maximum speed of electric vehicles should be less than 25 kmph, to be eligible for exemption from registration charges under the Motor Vehicles Act, but the electric vehicles manufactured and sold by the respondent companies travel at 40-50 kmph, the petitioner stated. ARAI’s issue of exemption certificates to the e-scooters amounts to committing fraud, the petitioner contended.
The petitioners sought directions to the relevant authorities to cancel the exemption certificates or withdraw all the certificates of exemption and to issue a circular to the general public to register electric or battery operated vehicles.