At 0.90% , Chandigarh trails in EV penetration

Among Union territories, Delhi was placed on the top, boasting of 2.71% EV penetration, followed by Chandigarh, while the national average stands at 0.81%

Despite vigorous push from the UT administration, electric vehicle (EV) penetration remains quite low in Chandigarh.

In the past five years, electric vehicles accounted for less than 1% of all vehicles sold in Chandigarh. (HT File)

In the past five years, EVs accounted for less than 1% of all vehicles sold in the city. This information was shared by Union minister of state for heavy industries Krishan Pal Gurjar in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

In response to queries about promoting EVs, Gurjar shared that of the total 8,43,049 vehicles registered in Chandigarh since 2018, only 7,628 were EVs as of July 21, 2023, representing a mere 0.90%.

Of the total 8,43,049 vehicles registered in Chandigarh since 2018, only 7,628 were EVs as of July 21, 2023.

Among UTs, Delhi was placed on the top, boasting of 2.71% EV penetration, followed by Chandigarh, while the national average stands at 0.81%.

The UT administration had introduced its EV Policy in September 2022, aiming to make Chandigarh a “model EV city” with a high penetration of zero-emission vehicles within five years.

During this period, the administration plans to gradually stop registering fuel-run vehicles to dissuade people from buying vehicles that cause pollution.

Public infrastructure lacking

However, in terms of public infrastructure, currently, Chandigarh has only eight charging stations with 48 charging points that were set up in 2018 under Centre’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme.

Under the UT policy, EV owners charging their vehicles at home pay domestic power rates, while those charging at public stations are charged ₹8 per unit for slow or medium charging, ₹10 per unit for fast charging and ₹11 per unit for battery swapping.

The administration is in the process of upgrading these charging stations at a cost of ₹3.2 crore to lower the charging time. Following the upgrade, that is expected to take six months, an electric car will be fully charged in around 1 hour, compared to the current eight hours.

Similarly, electric two-wheelers that are currently charged in three hours at these stations will be ready for use in 18 minutes after the revamp.

Sukhwinder Singh Abrol, the project director of Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST), said after obtaining clearances from the UT administrator, the work will begin within two weeks under the supervision of a Rajasthan-based agency.

Furthermore, the administration has started the work to install eight more charging stations at different locations.

As part of the EV policy, UT plans to increase the number of public charging stations to 100 by 2024. All petrol stations will have to set up EV charging stations. If there is inadequate space, owners will make necessary arrangements for installing the charging stations in the nearby parking area.

Ranjiv Dahuja, president of the Federation of Chandigarh Region Automobile Dealers, said alongside their efforts to promote EVs, the administration should also focus on creating public awareness about using charging stations effectively.

Incentives of little help?

To promote EVs, the administration has waived registration fee and road tax for five years, while owners of vehicles running on conventional fuels have to pay both. The benefit has been extended to hybrid vehicles too.

Also an incentive ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹2 lakh is being offered for up to 42,000 vehicles of different categories, including 25,000 e-cycles, 10,000 e-bikes and 3,000 e-cars, purchased between September 20, 2022, and September 19, 2027.

The incentive is available for EVs bought anywhere across the country, but only permanent residents of Chandigarh are eligible for it.