Delhi government celebrates 2 yrs of successful EV policy implementation

New Delhi: Steadfast commitment of political leadership, collaborative approach among stakeholders and a dedicated institutional set up are the factors that led to the successful implementation of the Delhi EV Policy, said DDC vice-chairperson Jasmine Shah at the fourth Delhi EV Forum held at the India Habitat Center on Monday. The Delhi government released its three-year action plan to create a robust network of charging and battery swapping stations.

The first-ever 'Switch Delhi EV Awards' were presented by the Transport Department to felicitate leaders and role models across 13 categories in the e-mobility sector in Delhi. The event was organised by The Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) of Delhi, in collaboration with RMI India Foundation. The forum, organised at the India Habitat Centre, witnessed a constructive dialogue between the government and various stakeholders of the EV ecosystem. It saw participation from eminent government dignitaries, like Kailash Gahlot, Minister of Transport, Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, DDC Delhi, and Ashish Kundra, Principal Secretary-cum-Commissioner (Transport).

Many stakeholders from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), charging infrastructure manufacturers and operators, DISCOMs, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), fleet aggregators, start-ups, academia, and civil society participated in lively discussions about the electric mobility landscape.

The inaugural session included the release of a report documenting the opportunities, challenges, solutions, and insights obtained through two years of rigorous, day-to-day policy implementation. The report, titled "Accelerating Electric Mobility in Delhi: Journey and Insights from Implementing the Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy," was released by the Transport Department, DDC Delhi, and RMI India Foundation.

In his keynote address, Gahlot said, "Under the leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, we are fulfilling our promises towards the successful implementation of the EV policy. The Delhi EV policy is among the best drafted and executed EV policies in the world. We firmly believe that Delhi's EV journey, with a focus on three key levers of incentivisation, innovation, and inclusion, will go a long way towards strengthening the EV ecosystem and accelerating transport decarbonisation in India."

Gahlot said the government has set a target of having one charging point in a radius of three kilometers. Notified in August 2020 when the share of EVs in new vehicle registrations was 1.2 per cent, the Delhi EV Policy aimed to improve Delhi's air quality with the ambitious target of driving the transition to EVs so that they could reach 25 per cent of all new vehicle registrations by 2024. Within two years, Delhi has increased its EV share to an average of 10 per cent in the year 2022 and has gone as high as 12.5 per cent in March 2022.