New Delhi, July 6 (IANS). Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the government’s new electric vehicle (EV) policy aims to provide a holistic solution to tackle pollution, strengthen clean mobility and make electric vehicles the preferred mode of transport in the national capital. In an interview with IANS, he addressed the concerns being raised about the policy, saying that it has been designed keeping in mind not only purchase incentives, but also charging infrastructure, vehicle scrapping, e-waste management and long-term environmental sustainability.
Speaking to IANS on Monday, CM Rekha Gupta said, “The electric vehicle policy was a huge need for Delhi city. It was important to bring it into a framework that provides a complete solution. Now when we put this policy before the public, we have not only provided subsidies, but also given scrapping incentives, focused on charging infrastructure, implemented mandates and prepared a complete plan for the e-waste plant.”
Talking about the efforts being made by the government to curb pollution, the Chief Minister said the administration has worked on several fronts including dust control, large-scale tree plantation drives and reducing vehicular emissions.
“Pollution is one of Delhi’s biggest challenges. We have worked on a holistic solution to it. Along with dust control and a plan to plant 70 lakh trees, we have focused on reducing vehicular emissions by promoting electric vehicles,” he said.
Gupta said Delhi already has about 4,500 electric buses, the highest among Indian states, and the government has issued new tenders under the PM e-Drive initiative to further expand the fleet.
“We are encouraging people to adopt electric vehicles, be they two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cars, N1 trucks or N2 trucks. Subsidies on vehicle purchase, scrapping incentives and waiver of registration fees and road tax will directly benefit the public and also benefit the environment,” he said.
Speaking on the government’s target of achieving more than 30 per cent electric vehicle adoption by 2030, CM Rekha Gupta emphasized that charging infrastructure remains the backbone of this transformation. He said, “People will buy electric vehicles only when they are confident of the availability of adequate infrastructure. There are currently around 9,000 charging points in Delhi and our target is to increase them to 32,000. This will provide convenience to the public and will also reduce pollution in the state. We have assigned responsibilities to OEMs, RWAs, housing societies and business institutions. The government will create a single-window platform for all approvals to ease the process of setting up charging stations. Will make it too.”
Addressing concerns being raised regarding existing petrol and diesel vehicles, the Delhi CM clarified that owners need not worry as this change will happen in a phased manner. He said, “Nothing changes overnight. It takes years and it happens gradually. Existing petrol and diesel vehicles can continue to run as long as they are legally permitted. There is no need for the public to be confused.”
He further said that from January 1, 2027, only electric autos will be registered in Delhi, while from April 2028, registration will be limited to electric two-wheelers only. The existing vehicles will continue to run till their scheduled period ends. No one needs to be worried about this.
He said that without such phased orders, “the policy involving government investment of Rs 15,000 crore would be meaningless.” He said that Delhi is the capital of the country, hence we want it to be completely pollution free and emerge as the EV capital of the country.
On keeping e-rickshaws out of the current policy, Gupta said the government will introduce a different framework after consultation with stakeholders. He said, “E-rickshaws are an important topic in themselves. Livelihoods of many people depend on them. Also, they are linked to road safety and traffic jams. That is why we have not included them in this policy. We will soon come out with a separate policy after consulting all the stakeholders.”
At the same time, responding to the concerns being raised about the increase in demand and supply of electricity from electric vehicles, Gupta said that Delhi’s power infrastructure is capable of adopting electric vehicles on a large scale.
He said, “We are already providing 24-hour power supply. We have strengthened substations, improved the power supply scheme and are expanding solar power. Government buildings are being shifted to solar power and the private sector is also being encouraged for the same. Subsidies are being provided for installing solar panels on rooftops. People will not face any power-related problems.”
At the same time, a report by a research company claimed that if a new EV policy comes in Delhi, then instead of buying electric vehicles from here, people will buy petrol vehicles from neighboring states like Uttar Pradesh and then drive them here. In response to this concern, CM Rekha Gupta said, “I want to feed you healthy food, but if you don’t eat then I can’t do anything. But the government will take decisions only in the interest of Delhi. The government will continue to give priority to the environmental interests of Delhi.”
He said, “If someone wants to find a way to avoid this policy, they can find it. But people who love Delhi and are connected to the city, they will definitely support this electric vehicle policy. We will keep improving it by understanding the concerns of both the public and the government.”
He further said, “The steps we have taken to improve the transportation system in Delhi were necessary. I believe that the city is continuously moving towards smart transportation, and through these efforts we will make Delhi a better and cleaner city.”
In response to a question on the changes made in the transport sector by the previous Arvind Kejriwal government and the present government, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the people of Delhi can give the best answer to this.
He said, “Today we have worked extensively on last mile connectivity. Different new corridors of the Metro have been started and budget provision has also been made for them. Along with this, the number of buses is being increased to strengthen the public transport system. Electric buses are also being included in the fleet continuously. Good work is also being done in the two-wheeler sector and EV (Electric Vehicle) policy has been implemented.”
The Chief Minister further said, “Our government has taken the necessary steps to improve the transport system. I feel that Delhi is continuously moving towards smart transportation and through this we will work to make the capital a better city.”
The new electric vehicle policy of the Delhi government is valid till March 31, 2030 and aims to make electric vehicles the paramount choice in the capital. The policy provides substantial subsidies on purchase, sets a phased timeline for transition from petrol-powered vehicles to electric vehicles in select categories and applies to all pure electric vehicles, while hybrid vehicles are excluded from the benefit of subsidies.
–IANS
PIM/AS
