Delhi govt allows electric light commercial vehicles on 250 roads during no-entry hours

With air pollution reaching alarming levels in the city, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Thursday announced that electric light commercial vehicles will be allowed entry on about 250 roads during no-entry hours.

He also said that the transport department will empanel manufacturers of electric kits for retrofitting of conventional internal combustion engines to electric ones.

Gahlot said the Electric Vehicle (EV) policy of the Delhi government launched last year also provides non-financial incentives besides the subsidies.

He noted that when the EV policy was launched, there were just 46 light commercial vehicles (LCVs) which have now increased to 1,054.

Stating that the percentage of electric vehicles among total vehicle registration has now gone up to around 7 per cent, the minister hoped it will be further raised to 25 per cent by 2024 as targeted in the EV policy.

He said retrofitting of diesel vehicles will enable their use beyond the prescribed 10 years as electric vehicles.

”Delhi is now open to ICE to electric retrofitting! Vehicles if found fit can convert their diesel to electric engine, dept’ll empanel manufacturers of pure electric kit by approved testing agencies. Once empanelled this’ll enable vehicles to continue plying here beyond 10 yrs,” Gahlot tweeted.