The Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy has been extended further to benefit EV buyers in the national capital. On Thursday (November 28), the Delhi government announced its decision to extend by another four months, possibly the last time since its introduction back in 2020. The EV policy, which was initially meant for three years, has now got an extension for more than a year and will be applicable on EVs bought till March 31 next year. The subsidies and tax reliefs for EV buyers under the Delhi EV Policy will continue during this period.

The decision to extend the Delhi EV Policy comes at a time when the national capital is under the grip of severe pollution. The state government has been trying to push electric vehicles in private as well as commercial sectors to reduce vehicular emission. The decision to continue the existing policy is aimed to promote EVs amid high pollution. The state government is also formulating a fresh EV policy which is currently under discussion among stakeholders.

Atishi, Chief Minister of Delhi, made the announcement of extending the EV policy on Thursday, saying it should help in reducing vehicular emission to curb pollution levels. She said that registrations of electric vehicles in Delhi has gone up to 12 per cent from 4 per cent in 2019-20, which is the highest among all cities in India. "The policy has also been extended until March 31, 2025. I urge all Delhi residents to purchase electric vehicles in large numbers so that we can fight pollution effectively. The Delhi government is committed to this war against pollution and the electric vehicle policy is a vital part of this effort," she announced while extending the existing EV policy.

Carmakers have started to react to the Delhi government's decision to extend the policy. JSW MG Motor, one of the top electric vehicle manufacturers in India, said it will help to boost demand for EVs i the city. “We welcome the recent decision made by the Delhi Government to extend the EV policy of exempting road tax and offering additional subsidies on purchase of EVs from Jan 1, 2024. Such progressive policies will certainly spur the demand for EVs here and will also aid in inspiring change for a healthier environment in and around the National Capital," said Satinder Singh Bajwa, Chief Commercial Officer at JSW MG Motor India. MG sells EVs like the Comet EV, Windsor EV and ZS EV as part of its electric vehicle fleet in India.

Delhi EV Policy: What it offers

The Delhi Electric Vehicle policy offers several benefits for EV buyers in the national capital. These include a 25 per cent subsidy of up to ₹5,500 on purchase of electric cycles, ₹30,000 for electric rickshaws, up to ₹30,000 for electric two-wheelers and ₹30,000 for electric light commercial vehicles. For those planning to buy an electric car also offers incentive of up to ₹1.5 lakh on a new EV. The policy had restricted the benefit on electric cars to the first thousand units. It remains to be seen if the Delhi government will extend this benefit as well.

Delhi EV Policy: A new and updated policy in the works

Delhi is all set to get a new Electric Vehicle Policy this year. The state government is planning to revise the existing policy. Delhi government is expected to include aggressive measures in the refreshed policy which will include expanding the EV infrastructure across the national capital. 

The Delhi EV Policy was first launched in 2020 with an aim to reduce carbon emissions and make people aware of the benefits of using battery-powered vehicles. According to the Delhi EV cell, the city has added 4,000 EV charging points since the policy was implemented. It also has 300 electric buses in operation with another 1,500 buses to be added by the end of this year. The target of 8,000 electric buses by 2025 will help Delhi to take major step towards reducing carbon footprint and curtail vehicular pollution.

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