Karnataka mandates zero-fee permits for electric, green commercial vehicles

Bescom's EV charging station

The Karnataka government has now mandated zero-fee permits for commercial electric vehicles (EVs) and those running on alternative fuels such as methanol and ethanol.

According to a notification issued on July 1, "in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 66(3)(n) of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and Section 96(xxxiii) of the said Act," permission has been granted to issue permits free of charge to all newly registered and already registered battery-powered, methanol- and ethanol-fuelled transport vehicles operating without permits.

The government has also withdrawn its earlier order dated January 20, 2022, which had exempted such vehicles from permit requirements altogether. The new directive, it stated, was issued “in the interest of law and order and public interest.”

The order clears the way for registering battery-operated vehicles as transport vehicles in Karnataka. Until now, EVs were largely registered only as personal vehicles.