The Delhi Transport Department and Delhi Electric Vehicle Cell kicked off the process of drafting a revised Delhi EV Policy 2.0 with a stakeholder consultation that brought together more than 220 Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), businesses, industry players, think tanks and government departments, to share insights and recommendations on strengthening policy measures for greater e-mobility penetration in the city.
This was organised in partnership with Climate Trends and RMI India Foundation, in the presence of the Minister of Transport, Mr. Kailash Gahlot; Principal Secretary-cum-Commissioner, Mr. Ashish Kundra; Advisor to CM & Member, DDC, Mr. Gopal Mohan; CEO of the Delhi Electric Vehicle Cell, Mr N Mohan; and Special Commissioner for the Transport department, Govt of NCT of Delhi, Smt Shilpa Shinde.
“Delhi’s EV penetration across all vehicle segments in private and commercial sectors is a classic example of what can be achieved through effective policy implementation, and by adopting a collaborative and consultative approach. The city has a very active and involved group of EV stakeholders across industry, think tanks, research institutes and civil society organisations. We hope that the revised EV policy will place Delhi on the global map as one of the most progressive e-mobility cities in the world.” said Ms. Aarti Khosla, Director, Climate Trends, in her welcome address.
Delhi’s EV policy completes 3 years in August 2023, and has so far achieved around 86% of its measures and targets according to the state transport department. By 2024, it aims to ensure that 25% of all new registered vehicles in the city are electric. Presenting the status of e-mobility in the city, N. Mohan, CEO, Delhi EV Cell, said, “Last year, Delhi averaged 10% EVs among total vehicle sales, with December 2022 witnessing the highest penetration so far at 17%, which is also the highest in India. The city now has more than 4,300 charging points and 256 battery swapping stations across 2,500+ locations. A key measure of the successful implementation of the policy is the disbursement of subsidies amounting to Rs 167 Crores.”
Since the transition towards compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles took place in Delhi, this is the next vehicular transition at scale in the national capital. Government functionaries claimed that designing state policies and incentives in tandem with the central government’s FAME and PLI schemes was a successful model and further aims to reduce price parity between the traditional ICE vehicles and EVs.
Speaking at the plenary session, Shri Kailash Gahlot, Minister of Transport, “I can say with confidence that Delhi’s EV policy is the most progressive among all states in India. Its success is shared by all stakeholders, including Delhi’s citizens who adopted this new technology. Political will is critical to move at this pace, and I am grateful to the hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal for this unwavering support. We have always focused on inclusion, incentivisation and innovation, and collaboration is a guiding principle we abide by to ensure success.”
Delhi EV policy 2.0 will bring greater focus on electrification of government fleets, commercial and delivery fleets and buses, along with building the overall ecosystem through battery recycling and managed charging. Highlighting this, Shri Ashisk Kundra, Principal Secy-cum-Transport Commissioner, “I am very proud of the progress we have made towards sustainable transport. We have set into motion the process of achieving 80% electrification of our bus fleet by 2025. In the second phase of the EV policy, we want to hear from stakeholders on how to accelerate EV penetration in fleet aggregators, last mile and food delivery companies, achieve highest penetration in 2 wheelers and enable sustainable finance from around the world.”
Experts at the session from World Bank, USAID and the British High Commission lauded the Government of NCT of Delhi’s efforts to mobilise public finance which provided the launchpad for an accelerated transition in the national capital. However, they agreed that the Delhi EV Policy 2.0 needs to focus on raising sustainable finance at scale, as government subsidies and lending will reach a limitation in expanding the scope of the transition.
