AA Edit | Delhi’s EV Policy Can Be Trendsetter

The Delhi government’s new electric vehicle policy will have a far-reaching effect on the transport landscape in the national capital and could gradually reduce extremely high pollution levels in one of the world’s most polluted cities.

Under the new policy, only electric three-wheelers will be allowed to be registered in the national capital from January 1, 2027, and only electric two-wheelers will be registered in Delhi from April 1, 2028. Zero registration fee and road tax for EVs priced up to Rs 30 lakh will also influence people’s decision to switch to electric vehicles. These three decisions will nudge people towards electric vehicles.

The EV policy requires schools to convert their bus fleet to electric vehicles gradually — 10 per cent by 2028, 20 per cent by 2029 and 30 per cent by 2030. All new intra-state buses which are bought by the transport system will be electric-powered. Similarly, government vehicles, which form a large percentage of vehicular traffic in Delhi, will switch over to electric vehicles.

These incentives and policy pushes will go a long way to make people consider switching to electric vehicles. However, the government should also address the lack of an adequate number of EV charging stations. Unlike fossil fuels, which can be filled within a few minutes, an electric vehicle occupies public space at the recharging station for at least one hour. Therefore, the city needs a larger number of electric charging stations than petrol refuelling stations.

The Delhi government should identify places before the policy leads to a surge in electric vehicles on the road without building adequate recharge infrastructure. As longer breaks for recharging will be a disincentive for commercial operators like three-wheelers, the government should work with automobile manufacturers to design electric three-wheelers which allow a battery swapping model, which could be a game changer for the EV industry.