UT administration prepares final draft policy on electric vehicles

The UT Administration has formed a three-member committee to prepare a draft policy on electric vehicles in Chandigarh. It has proposed to provide incentives for waiving off registration fees and road tax on the purchase of an electric vehicle, this initiative is taken to encourage plug-in electric vehicles in the state and to reduce pollution levels by bringing down emissions from vehicles.

When the report from the committee will be received, the suggestions and objections will be invited on the draft policy, UT Adviser Dharam Pal said. The committee members consist of Municipal Commissioner Anindita Mitra, Deputy Commissioner Mandip Singh Brar and Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) Chief Executive Officer Debendra Dalai. The department said that the electric vehicle policy would be implemented for 5 years after the UT Administrator approval.

The UT administration also plans to purchase electric vehicles for its officials. Recently, it has also started a one-month of trial run of an electric bus in the city. It has received 19 more electric buses on September 30 and they will be operational for the general public from the first week of October. The other 20 buses are soon to arrive in the city by next month and the procurement of another 40 electric buses is under process and expected to be received next year.

The Department of Heavy Industries under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises has sanctioned 80 electric buses under Phase ll of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme. For the first 40 buses, the agreement has been signed with Ashok Leyland for 10 years.

In July 2021, the UT Administration had prepared a draft of financial incentives for the purchasers of e-vehicles. The Chandigarh Renewal Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (Crest) has also proposed to waive off the registration fees for electric vehicles.

According to the proposed plan, the purchase of the first 1,000 electric four-wheelers will get Rs 5,000 incentives per kWh of battery capacity. The first 2,000 electric two-wheelers per kWh of battery capacity will receive Rs 5,000 incentive and the electric three-wheelers, including e-rickshaws, e-carts, e-autos will get Rs 30,000 of incentives. The electric three-wheeler incentives will be given on the conditions such as the models can be lead-acid batteries and swappable models and the battery will not be sold with the vehicle.

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