The Delhi government has offered an incentive of nearly Rs 100 crore on electric vehicles under its ambitious Electric Vehicle Policy launched in 2020, the highest by any state, it said on Thursday. According to official figures, 62,483 electric vehicles have been sold since the launch of the Delhi EV Policy on August 7, 2020.
The policy's mission is to drive rapid adoption of EVs to ensure they contribute 25 per cent of all new vehicle registrations by 2024, the Arvind Kejriwal government said in a statement, asserting that the capital is already at the halfway mark, with EV sales up to March this year recording 12.5 per cent. Apart from providing incentives, the government has also waived road tax and registration fees for all EVs.
The Delhi EV Policy's success can be attributed to the i3 model -- incentivisation, innovation and inclusion, the government said in the statement. Charge Point Operators (CPO) deployed more than 2,000 charging points and battery swapping stations, solving the issue of range anxiety for all EV users, it said.
In February last year, Kejriwal had also launched the Switch Delhi Campaign to spread awareness about the contribution of EVs in making Delhi cleaner and minimising pollution. Prior to the implementation of the policy, the EV market in the capital was driven by e-rickshaws, which contributed nearly 85 per cent of total EV sales here.
As two-third of new vehicle registrations in Delhi comprise two-wheelers, the policy's focus was to push sales of electric two-wheelers and commercial three-wheelers, it said. In order to provide access to charging points, the government in February last year signed a pact with Delhi Transco Limited for 100 sites across Delhi. This initiative which will see introduction of nearly 900 charging points and 100-plus battery swapping stations.
Owners would be able to charge their EVs at less than Rs 2 per unit at these facilities, the lowest in the country, it claimed. The government also started a single window facility in November last year to ease the purchase of EV chargers from power distribution companies' online portal through more than 10 empanelled vendors and gave three years' warranty, including installation. An online portal was also created for the purchase of electric autos and availing five per cent interest subvention.
A total of 150 electric buses are already plying on Delhi roads and the capital will see nearly 2,000 such buses by the end of 2023, which will be the highest in the country, the government claimed. Three bus depots have already been electrified, 17 more will be electrified by June next year and 35 by December next year, taking the number of electrified bus depots to 55.
"On one side, electric vehicles are helping Delhi with the reduction of emissions and air pollution, and on the other, they are also creating more employment opportunities, increasing earnings of commercial vehicles and auto-owners with lower cost of ownership and giving users an opportunity to take rides in no-sound and comfortable vehicles," Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said. He also said with the onset of EVs, he was also looking forward to see more women drivers in both private and public vehicles.
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