Min Kailash Gahlot highlights success of Delhi’s EV policy

The Delhi government will focus on building a robust charging infrastructure network and a three-year action plan has been devised to deploy 18,000 charging points by 2025, ensuring convenient access for electric vehicle owners across the city, Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said on Wednesday while he addressed the Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2.0 stakeholder consultation, held at the India Habitat Centre.

The event, organised by the Transport Department in partnership with Climate Trends and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) India, aimed to gather valuable insights and feedback from experts in the field to further enhance the Kejriwal government’s efforts towards promoting electric mobility.

In his address, Gahlot commended the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the transformative steps taken by the Delhi government to promote electric vehicles in the capital. He highlighted the success of the Delhi EV policy since its launch on August 7, 2020, and revealed that more than 1.20 lakh electric vehicles have been sold during the policy period. He emphasised the significant contribution of electric two-wheelers, which accounted for nearly 50 per cent of the total EV sales in Delhi.

Gahlot informed, “Consumer awareness campaigns, including the upcoming Switch Delhi 2.0 campaign, will be conducted to educate and encourage more individuals to embrace electric mobility. Moreover, partnerships with aggregators and efforts to enhance last-mile connectivity through e-autos, Delhi metro feeder e-buses, and individual e-two-wheeler options are actively being pursued.”

Discussing the Innovation aspect of the policy, he said: “The ‘Innovation’ component played a pivotal role in making electric vehicles more accessible and convenient for Delhi residents. The introduction of an EV tariff of Rs 4.5 per unit, which is among the lowest in India, significantly reduced the cost of charging electric vehicles. Delhi became the first state in the country to provide incentives for e-cycles, further promoting sustainable transportation options.”