Electric vehicles have been getting a lot of hype in recent times, majorly because of the increasing pollution problems. An electric vehicle also called an EV, first came into existence in the mid-19th century, when electricity was among the preferred methods for motor vehicle propulsion.
Later in the 21st century, EVs saw a resurgence due to technological developments, and an increased focus on renewable energy. Government incentives to increase adoptions were introduced, including in the United States and the European Union.
Now, in a bid to combat air pollution, the Delhi government has drafted a policy and proposed to make 25 percent of all vehicles to be electric by 2023. The draft named ‘Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2018’ has been released by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government.
“Rapid adoption of zero-emission electric vehicles is, therefore, of great importance to Delhi,” Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot said.
Following this, the government will offer a subsidy up to Rs 22,000 on purchase of e-two wheelers to ensure their cost is less than or equal to petrol two wheelers. Government Electric two-wheeler taxis will be allowed to provide last mile connectivity and Scrapping Incentive of up to Rs 15,000 on old BS II and BS III two wheelers.
Also, the policy will allow open permit system for e-autos in Delhi while Individual e-auto owners will get down payment subsidy up to Rs 12,500 and 5 per cent interest subvention and similarly the cashback for passengers using e-autos up to Rs 10 per trip will be offered through this policy.
Apart from that, the government will also offer subsidy up to Rs 20,000 for the first 5,000 e-Carriers with advanced, swappable batteries for electric goods carriage. The transport minister said the Delhi government would “amend building bye-laws to ensure both home and work place parking becomes EV ready through mandatory installation of charging conduits.”
“Under this policy, fully electric buses will be at least 50 per cent of all new buses procured for the city fleet starting with the induction of 1,000 electric buses in 2019. The government will offer substantial incentives to private stage-carriage vehicles of all sizes to ensure that electric vehicles make up at least 50 per cent of the entire public transport system in Delhi by 2023,” the report stated.
The basic objective of the policy is to strengthen the infrastructure for battery charging and swapping with an aim of providing access within 3km range from any spot in Delhi. Several states, including Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, have also announced an electric vehicle (EV) policy to complement the national policy and address state-specific needs.