The Delhi government has decided to extend its Electric Vehicle (EV) policy for an additional three months, which was set to expire on December 31. With this step, the intention is to now extend the Delhi EV Policy until March 31, 2024. This information was provided by the PTI (Press Trust of India). This move will provide anticipated relief not only to consumers interested in purchasing electric vehicles in the Delhi-NCR region but also to other stakeholders in the EV industry.
The report claims that the Delhi government's cabinet will approve the extension of the Delhi EV (Electric Vehicle) Policy until March 31, 2024. This policy was notified in August 2020, with the goal of increasing the share of electric vehicles in the national capital to 25 percent by 2024.
The Delhi EV (Electric Vehicle) Policy originally concluded on August 8, 2023, and has been extended multiple times since then. Currently, the Delhi government is reportedly working on a new electric vehicle policy. However, it has not been specified when this new policy will be implemented. It seems that the Delhi government aims to extend the existing EV policy until the new policy comes into effect.
Earlier, Delhi's Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had stated that Delhi's EV (Electric Vehicle) Policy 2.0 would encourage the retrofitting of vehicles, considering the cost aspect. This initiative aims to incentivize EV buyers to convert their existing petrol or diesel-powered vehicles into electric ones. This approach allows them to adopt electric vehicles at a relatively lower cost compared to purchasing a completely new EV.
The minister mentioned that converting a standard petrol-powered Maruti Suzuki Gypsy to an electric vehicle involves a cost of approximately 5 to 6 lakh rupees, which is relatively high. Gahlot indicated that with the assistance of Delhi's EV Policy 2.0, this cost for consumers would significantly reduce.
By Kuldeep
