In Delhi, the number of e-vehicles has surpassed a million.

13 Jun 2023

The number of electric vehicles registere in Delhi has crossed 1 lakh since the launch of the nationa capital's EV policy in August 2020.The transport department said that 1,24,846 electric vehicles were sold till May, of which 65% were two-wheelers and three-wheelers, and 10.24% were four-wheelers.The significant jump in the number of electric vehicles is good news for a city bedevilled by pollution.  The government's recent decision to increase EV subsidies will surely encourage prospective buyers. One can also see that the number of charging points have gone up. Authorities should get feedback from recent buyers on the subject, find out the problems they are facing and work on the solutions.In May, EV contributed to 14.59% of all vehicles sold with 7,611 electric vehicles being registered. To increase the adoption of electric vehicles in the workplace, the Delhi government plans to give government employees subsidies and charging facilities at cheaper rates under its next EV policy.An official said that for purchasing EVs, the government provides subsidies now, but the target is to also promote the adoption of four-wheelers under which an extra subsidy will be given to government employees through the Delhi Finance Corporation (DFC).According to the plan, charging infrastructure and units for employees and other government staff will be set up in different government offices and DTC depots.The Delhi government plans to construct nine new bus depots across the city to house the increasing number of buses and gradually encourage private charging also. By 2030, the Government of India aims for a 30% EV penetration, while the Delhi government's objective is to ensure that 25% of all new vehicle registrations in Delhi are electric vehicles by 2024.Delhi's EV policy, which will complete three years in August, offers a battery capacity linked subsidy for two-wheelers and three-wheelers.The city has 2,794 public charging points, 1,550 private charging points and 256 battery swapping stations. Delhi will get 446 more electric vehicle charging points in 193 public places in the coming six months. A senior official said that discoms will facilitate the installation of the additional 400-plus charging points over the next few months, an official added.According to officials, the 446 charging points will come up in Nehru Place, Nizamuddin, Sarita Vihar, Saket, Vasant Kunj, Punjabi Bagh, Dwarka, Mayur Vihar phase I and II, Karkardooma, Shahdara,Karol Bagh and IP Extension.The Delhi government's EV policy aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in the city to reduce air pollution and improve public health.