Expired Delhi EV Policy yet to get extension

The Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy that expired on December 31 last year is yet to be extended, leaving customers in the lurch as they are unable to get government subsidy on the purchase of a new e-vehicle. The policy was supposed to be extended till June this year, officials said.

According to an official, the policy extension was approved by the Delhi cabinet in March but could not be implemented after the Model Code of Conduct came into force from March 16 with the announcement of the Lok Sabha polls.

The initial EV Policy was notified on August 7, 2020 for a duration of three years, and was later extended until December 31, 2023.

“The Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0 is still being formulated and there are some points that still need to be finalised. The existing policy will be extended and the file should be cleared within a week,” said another official.

The transport department and Delhi Electric Vehicle Cell also held a stakeholder consultation last year as part of the process of drafting a revised ‘Delhi EV Policy 2.0’.

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot had earlier told PTI that the Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0 would look at incentivising the retrofitting of vehicles considering its high cost.

“People want to convert their IC (internal combustion) engines into electric ones. The process is expensive. For converting a normal Gypsy, it takes almost INR 5-6 lakh, which is on the higher side,” he had said.