EV policy: States need to be on the same page

With the rising demand for electric vehicles to curtail pollution, various Indian states have drafted their own e-vehicle policies. While some states have set a segment-wise target, the others have opted for an estimated electrification goal, reported TOI citing Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) report.

For instance, in the national capital Delhi, the drafted policy aims towards achieving a 25% electrification of all new vehicle registrations by 2024.

“This policy also aims to register a minimum of 50 per cent of all new stage carriage buses as e-buses, including both city fleet and fleet for last mile connectivity. All delivery service providers shall convert 50 per cent of their fleet operating in Delhi to electric by 2023 and 100 per cent by 2025,” TOI quoted CAQM report.

National Capital Region (NCR)

Haryana, one of the key states of the NCR region, has taken into consideration the electrification of 100% of its state-owned buses.

The policy aims towards converting all state-owned buses to e-buses with battery e-vehicles or fuel cell e-vehicles by 2029. The first phase of this conversion of the bus fleet in Gurgaon and Faridabad by 2024.

Uttar Pradesh
In UP, the policy drafted in 2019 did not have a vehicle segment-wise target. The state aims towards accomplishing 10 lakh EVs, combined across all segments of vehicles in the next two years.

Rajasthan

Unlike the other states, Rajasthan’s policy for e-vehicles revealed an estimated target. It merely suggests incentives for EV buyers, the amount depending on the battery capacity of the vehicle.

According to the CAQM report, the targets have been set up in order to achieve zero tailpipe emissions with battery-operated vehicles. States need to set and accomplish these targets in terms of percentage of the new vehicle sales to be achieved by the end of the plan period while targeting total e-vehicles in particular categories.

“The EV policies of the NCR state governments may vary, but have several common elements. It is necessary that all states set timebound fleet electrification targets and adopt a more harmonised and robust approach towards incentive structures and charging infrastructure with a committed funding strategy to build scale quickly,” TOI quoted Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, and a member of the expert group involved in preparing the new Delhi policy, as saying.

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