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Since the launch of the Delhi EV policy in August 2020, 630 new two-wheelers have been registered. It is registering more, the Delhi government said in a statement. But in a forward-moving statement, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said that in six months, all leased, hired cars for the commute of Delhi Government officials will be electric vehicles. The campaign by the Delhi government aims to sensitise people about the benefits of switching to EVs. It further aims to make them aware of the incentives and infrastructure for EV.
According to a PTI report, he noted that the Delhi Government provides scrapping incentives of up to ₹7,500 per vehicle for auto and light commercial vehicles in the provisions of the Delhi EV Policy 2020. He also noted that under the Delhi EV Policy, the Government provides incentives of up to Rs 3 lakh on the purchase of an EV vehicle. This includes a Rs 1.5 lakh subsidy, registration, and road tax exemption. “This is the highest subsidy in India. It makes the total cost of ownership of EV in Delhi the same as a diesel car,” Gahlot said.
“To set an example for the city, the Delhi government has taken lead by starting the transition of its entire fleet to EV. All leased/hired cars of Delhi government officers shall transition to electric within a period of six months,” Gahlot said. “To help people overcome the apprehensions regarding the charging of EV vehicles in the city and enable a smooth transition, over 70 public charging stations are already operational in Delhi. Additionally, 500 charging points are coming up on 100 locations soon.”
From the leaders (on the Delhi EV Policy transitioning Government vehicles to EV in 6 Months)
Mr Akash Gupta, Co-founder and CEO - ZYpp Electric
“It's a welcome step to sensitize EV adoption in leaders and masses. It will definitely change people's mindset and drive for EV adoption both by personnel, individuals and businesses. But 6 months is a little over the top. However, I am confident that over the next 2-3 years, there will be a drastic move towards EV adoption; especially in the logistics segment. It will see a sharp curve of adoption with services like ours ZYpp Electric which are solving vehicles, infrastructure, financing and adoption altogether,” states Akash.
Upon the question of which EV Vehicles are currently the best, in the market, he said, “If we look at EV adoption, we've seen already a huge adoption in the 3-wheeler segment. Now, 2-wheelers are also picking up steam. Both have picked up as infrastructure requirements have been minimal. For 4 wheeler adoption, infra is the key and that'll build over the next few years. At ZYpp, we've partnered with Hero Electric for 2-wheelers and Piaggio, Kinetic for 3-wheelers. I feel they're decent as per the current evolution of EVs in the Indian market.”
Pulkit Khurana, Co-Founder, BatterySmart
Pulkit states, “It is a great move by the Delhi Government to boost the adoption of EVs. The Government, as the primary and early adopter, will give impetus to this sector. It will help alleviate the concerns of the common people. This move will also instil confidence in the user who is on the fence about making a switch to EV for his personal vehicle.”
Since BatterySmart works in the EV Infrastructure sector, CiOL asked him that the EV infrastructure is not still very efficient, even in the National Capital; if a shift in 6-months was a plausible idea? He said, “The chicken and egg problem persists for EVs everywhere. This mass movement of Government vehicles to EV will ensure a base demand for the charging infra. It should also boost infrastructure installation by various agencies. If you couple this move along with the 100 location tender that the Delhi Government has rolled out for public charging infra, the Government is trying to tackle both ends and giving that early push required in this sector. The 6-month timeline matches with the commissioning of these 100 locations for charging. This seems like a thought out move from the Delhi Government.
Upon the question of which EV Vehicles are currently the best, in the market, he said, “Among 4 wheelers, Tata Tigor and Mahindra Verito were the early 2 models available in Sedans but recently MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona besides Tata Nexon EV have also been getting traction in the space and the much loved mini SUV category. There are various new models upcoming. The much-awaited Tesla Model 3 is also expected to be available this year. Although that would likely cost much higher than other options.”