All vehicles owned/leased by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) will transition to electric by August 6, 2021, Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari has said.

Answering a series of questions on the electric vehicle (EV) policy of the Delhi government, he told Rajya Sabha that the Delhi EV Policy 2020 aims to establish feasibility for large-scale adoption of electric passenger four-wheelers. The entire government’s fleet would be converted to electric, he said.

“The Department of Finance, GNCTD’s order dated February 25, 2021, mandates conversion of all vehicles owned/leased by the Government of NCT of Delhi to transition to electric by August 6, 2021,” the minister said.

Gadkari also said that the Delhi EV Policy provides the following incentives for private vehicles:

• Electric Two-Wheeler: ₹5000 (~$68)/kWh battery capacity
• Electric Three-Wheeler: ₹30,000 (~$411)/ vehicle
• Electric Four-Wheeler: ₹10,000 (~$137)/kWh of battery capacity

The policy is valid for three years. It aims to speed up EV adoption, primarily in two-wheelers, public and shared transport vehicles, and goods carriers. It plans to boost the adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs), contributing to 25% of all new vehicle registrations by 2024.

The Department of Transport notified the Delhi EV Policy 2020 on August 7, 2020. It aims to establish the feasibility for large-scale adoption of electric passenger four-wheelers through transitioning its entire government fleet to electric.  All leased/hired cars used for the commute of GNCTD officers would go electric within twelve months from the policy’s announcement.

Under the Delhi EV Policy, an incentive is provided for electric vehicles in lieu of scrapping a more polluting conventional vehicle. However, the scrapping incentive is applicable on the evidence of a matching contribution from the dealer or OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), not exceeding ₹5,000 (~$68.47)/vehicle for two-wheelers and ₹7,500 (~$102.64) for auto and light commercial vehicles.

In October 2020, the Delhi Government exempted road tax on all battery EVs with immediate effect in the region under the Delhi Motor Vehicle Taxation Act, 1962.

Rahul is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Before entering the world of renewables, Rahul was head of the Gujarat bureau for The Quint. He has also worked for DNA Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad Mirror. Hailing from a banking and finance background, Rahul has also worked for JP Morgan Chase and State Bank of India. More articles from Rahul Nair.