When people think about electric vehicles, one word has always been the biggest hurdle there, which is – cost. Because of this cost and lack of essential infrastructure, India's vehicle system relies on the internal combustion engine day by day. However, change is inevitable, so with every passing hour, electric vehicles are becoming better options for cleaner and greener mobility. And this initiative is spurred on by India's capability to promote e-mobility.
Therefore, keeping all factors these in mind, each state has taken measures regarding EV policies along with setting its own criteria for EV subsidies. This means some regions will get the benefit from the subsidies. Given India's desire to reduce the pollution level by using electric vehicles, Delhi and Bihar set a stark example on EV policies among many states. Keep reading to get every detail of these two states' EV policy.
Delhi has been registered as the leading sales centre for Electric Vehicles. EV usage has grown by leaps and bounds in the National Capital owing to pollution-related concerns. The Delhi transport minister has declared that Delhi's progressive policy for electric vehicles has made it responsible for this success. So what is this extraordinary policy?
Delhi has the capacity to become the leading region and control the whole EV sector owing to its revolutionary policy-making. Delhi aims to reduce pollution as much as possible, and the state is now focusing on developing an eco-friendly charging system. The state government has decided to put the measures that have the capacity to aid the growing adaptation of electric vehicles. The first step is to stop the sales of internal combustion engine vehicles.
Combustion Engine vehicles are majorly responsible for environmental pollution. So the policy has included an environment compensation charge for existing and new petrol or diesel vehicles and an air quality parking surcharge. Some scrappage and de-registration incentives are also introduced in this policy.
The Delhi government has planned to change the transportation facility by adding 50% e-buses to public transport line-ups by 2023. Public transport, taxi-fleets, 2-wheelers, and 3-wheelers are the main priority, for which the government will encourage long-term investment from the dealers. Thus it will help to create favourable conditions for public and private charging infrastructure.
Whenever any State progresses, there are still specific limitations to deal with. The state of Bihar is also no exception. Due to infrastructure limitations, Bihar has focused on the public charging stations. This public transportation system supports the usage of e-rickshaws. Now Bihar government aims to set up fast-charging stations at intervals of 50 km on state and national highways.
Bihar has heavy usage of paddle-rickshaws. The government has decided to curb the usage of these rickshaws and replace them with e-rickshaws by the year 2022. The state also announced a subsidy of rupees 12, 000 and an additional special incentive of rupees 10, 000 for the lithium-ion battery e-rickshaws. So there is bound to be high demand for e-rickshaws all over the state. The Government will tap into this soaring demand for promoting e-vehicles across Bihar.
As mentioned earlier, the state governments are trying to achieve sustainable development goals in the transport sector. That is why they are trying to replace regular transportation systems with e-transportation alternatives. Even though both Delhi and Bihar have set stringent policies for EV adoption, many more States need to follow their example.
