Delhi Cabinet likely to approve EV policy 2.0 in upcoming meeting

Delhi electric vehicle (EV) policy 2.0 is likely to be placed before the Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta for approval next week, officials said on Thursday. The draft of the new policy was placed in the public domain in April for stakeholders’ feedback. Incentivising hybrid vehicles under the policy is a sticky issue which is yet to be finalised by the authorities, a senior government officer said. "The government wants to cover the hybrid vehicles under the subsidy scheme under the policy, but there is resistance from some quarters. It has, however, been noticed that subsidising hybrid vehicles has helped faster adoption of electric vehicles," the officer said. The policy draft recommends a 50 per cent road tax waiver for hybrid vehicles priced up to Rs 30 lakh. Hybrid vehicles are powered by a conventional internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors, which use energy stored in batteries. The battery is self-charging, and it gets power from the combustion engine and regenerative braking, a process that captures energy generated during braking. The existing Delhi EV policy was extended up to June 30. "The policy is likely to be extended further, and so the approval of the new EV Policy 2.0 is imperative," the officer added. In March, the Delhi government had announced key highlights of the proposed EV Policy 2.0, aiming to make 95 per cent of new vehicle registrations electric by 2027. The policy outlines a roadmap to accelerate the city's transition to electric mobility while strengthening its position as India's leader in EV adoption, according to the Transport Department. Under the proposed policy, all CNG auto-rickshaws, taxis and light commercial vehicles will be replaced by electric vehicles (EVs) in a phased manner. The government has also committed to a full transition to electric buses to ensure a sustainable public transport system.