Centre plans to introduce electric public service for Delhi in five years

The Union government is planning to covert all the public transport vehicles in Delhi into electric vehicles soon. 

The project will be implemented in Delhi on a pilot basis and will be replicated by other cities in a phased manner. The union ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has sent a detailed proposal to Delhi government regarding this.

Presently, over 85,000 CNG vehicles ply in Delhi, which is largest in the world. According to National Electric Mobility Mission Plan(NEMMP) 2020, around Rs 14,000 crore has been allocated to promote cleaner electric vehicle technologies in India. The union minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Anant Gete  recently confirmed this during a press conference. ‘To begin with we plan to convert all the public transport vehicles in Delhi into electric vehicles. We hope to achieve this aim in the next five years,’ he said.

The proposal also include development of necessary infrastructure to implement this move. The government want to focus on domestic technological development such as capacity building, manufacturing of full range electric vehicles and charging infrastructure. 

According to industry estimates, fuel worth Rs 40,000 crores is expected to be saved if India’s electric vehicle market takes off. The government will also provide cash subsidy of Rs 4,000-5,000 for electric two-wheelers and Rs 1 lakh for electric cars to get their vehicles converted.