NITI Aayog targets a complete switch to electric three-wheelers and two-wheelers in a phased manner, starting from March 31, 2023.
“I think it is a well-planned move. The government is clearly signaling they want an aggressive electric roll-out rather than any hybrid variant to achieve complete conversion to electric vehicles by 2030,” stated by Vinay Rustagi, M.D of Bridge to India
- About 78% of all vehicles sold in the country are two wheelers and three wheelers.
- Data from the Society of the Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles shows total electric vehicle sales in India in 2017-18 stood at 56,000 units.
- The steering committee on transformative mobility has proposed banning all internal combustion engine (ICE) three-wheelers on Indian roads by March 31, 2023
- Also, two-wheelers below 150 cc will be prohibited by March 31, 2025, to make India the hub for manufacturing electric vehicles.
To show India is firmly moving towards electric vehicles, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has set a 12% tax rate for electric vehicles, compared with 28% plus cess for petrol and diesel cars and hybrid vehicles.
Government flip flopping its policies
Transport minister Nitin Gadkari – who had once threatened to mandate EVs from 2030 – has now said that the roadmap will be decided after consulting the automobile industry.
The vehicle manufacturing companies, which have already made a significant investment in the EV segment, are now in the process of meeting different government departments to get more clarity on the issue before making any further move.
Clean and Green India
Electric Vehicles are already available in Indian market but has a less market share.With problems like failing batteries, less speed and no registered policies,Indian government has to go a long way to make this project a successful one.However, initiatives like this can push India to make a effort towards a clean and green environment.
