New Delhi: Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Friday said the Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0 is final which aims to target commercial vehicles to reduce pollution in the capital city. Kailash Gehlot said that after 2030, all vehicles will have to be made electric.
Kailash Gehlot said, “When increasing the fleet size, there are specific targets for EV induction. “We are now at 10 per cent of total vehicles in Delhi on EVs.”
Last month, speaking about Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, Kailash Gehlot had said that Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0 will encourage retrofitting of vehicles given its high cost.
Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy-2020 had expired on August 8 this year and the government had said that the subsidy being given under it will continue till the new policy is notified. Today Kailash Gehlot said that this is the final policy.
Kailash Gehlot said, “We are bringing a cabinet note and it should be finalized within this week. The existing policy will be extended for six months or until the new policy is notified.”
Explaining more about the policy, Kailash Gehlot said, “People want to convert their IC [internal combustion] engines to electric. This process is expensive. A normal Gypsy replacement costs around ₹5-6 lakh, which is quite high. We will see how to encourage it.”
The Delhi minister said last mile connectivity is another focus of the government.
He said, “We have issued a tender to deploy 3,000 e-scooters and e-cycles to strengthen last-mile connectivity. In the first phase, 1,500 such vehicles will be deployed at metro stations. We are starting the project in Dwarka on a pilot basis.”
He said that 750 more vehicles will be brought and deployed in the second phase. Phase three will be the final phase in which the remaining 750 vehicles will be introduced.