Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal launches electric vehicle policy, calls it ‘most progressive’

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the electric vehicle policy will be for three years and will be reviewed from time to time.

The Delhi government aims to boost the economy and reduce pollution level in the national capital, recognised as one of the world’s most polluted cities, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Friday as he rolled out his government’s electric vehicle policy.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the government’s electric vehicle policy on Friday. (ANI Photo)

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader said his government studied the electric vehicle policies across the world and consulted experts in the country to come up with the policy to offer subsidies and waive road tax and registration fee for electric vehicles.

“We have issued a notification for the electric vehicle policy today… This electric vehicle policy is the country’s most progressive policy and most probably is one of the good policies in the entire world,” Arvind Kejriwal said in a press conference.

“The policy has two objectives. First, to boost Delhi’s economy after the coronavirus pandemic. Second, to significantly reduce the pollution level and contribute to sustainable development,” Kejriwal added.

The policy would help generate jobs in large numbers – driving, selling, financing, charging points, etc, he added.

The Delhi government, he said, would introduce financial incentives for people buying e-vehicles. For two-wheelers, auto-rickshaws, e-rickshaws and freight vehicles, there will be incentives up to ₹30,000 and for cars, it will up to ₹150,000. “These incentives are over and above already existing incentives for e-vehicles under the central government,” he said.

The Delhi government will also provide a scrapping incentive, the first in the country, for replacing the fuel-based vehicle with e-vehicle. Interest on loans for the purchase of e-vehicles for commercial activities will be waived and e-vehicles will be exempted from registration fees and road tax, he said.

Kejriwal said the electric vehicle policy will be valid for three years and will be reviewed from time to time. A state electric vehicle (EV) fund will be set up to bear all expenses related to the policy and an EV board will be set up which will be chaired by the state transport minister.

“An EV cell will be set up to ensure implementation of the policy…We hope, in the next five years, five lakh new e-vehicles will be registered in Delhi.”

The Delhi cabinet had approved the Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, 2019, last year with an aim to reduce air pollution by offering subsidies and waiving road tax and registration fee for electric vehicles bought in the national capital.

Delhi has 83,730 electric vehicles out of over 11 million vehicles registered in the city. Of the 83,730 registered EVs, a mammoth 75,567 are e-rickshaws. There are only 908 private electric cars and 3,703 e-two-wheelers in Delhi.