Maharashtra Drafts New EV Policy, Over 10 States In India Are Now Looking Towards Electrification Of Transport

The Maharashtra government announced its new electric vehicle(EV) policy on Tuesday, July 13. The new policy aims to achieve a 10 per cent share for EVs in the overall new vehicle registrations by 2025. State environment minister Aditya Thackeray and other dignitaries released the new policy.

Features Of The New Policy

According to the policy, all EVs sold in Maharashtra will be exempted from paying road tax till the duration of the policy. Property developers have to reserve minimum EV parking space in residential and commercial areas as well as government offices. At least one manufacturing unit needs to be established in the state for producing advanced lithium-ion batteries. The policy has also proposed setting up 1,500 charging stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region- 500 in Pune, 150 in Nagpur, 100 in Nashik, 75 in Aurangabad, 30 in Amaravati, and 20 in Solapur, by 2025.

The government is also planning to convert 15 per cent of the 18,000 MSRTC (Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation) bus fleet to electric. They also plan on making four highways and expressways(including the Nashik-Pune highway, Mumbai-Nashik expressway, Mumbai-Pune expressway, and the under-construction Mumbai-Nagpur expressway) completely suitable for EVs."We are trying to set up public charging stations on highways at a distance of 25km. These stations should cater to the charging requirements of long-haul passenger and freight vehicles like e-buses, electric trucks, etc," Thackeray said to India Today.

EV Policies Of Other States

With Sustainable development as a priority for all state governments, More than 10 states in India have final or draft EV policies. The states with approved EV policies include Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, New Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. The states awaiting policy approvals include Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, and Punjab.

New Delhi's EV policy was approved in August 2020. Similar to the Maharashtra policy it aims that EVs account for 25% of the total new vehicle registrations by 2024 and to have at least 50% e-buses for all-new stage carriage buses procured for the city fleet, starting with 1,000 e-buses by 2020. The policy provides a purchase incentive of INR 10,000 ($136) per kWh of battery capacity provided for electric 4-wheelers (cars) and INR 5,000 ($68) per kWh of battery capacity provided for 2-wheelers for the first 1,000 EVs registered in New Delhi after issuance of the policy. Additionally, a purchase incentive of INR 30,000 ($409) per vehicle to owners of e-autos, e-rickshaws, and e-carts.

Andhra Pradesh got its EV policy approved as early as June 2018. Like other states, it aims to have 1,000,000 EVs registered by 2024. In a bid to encourage buying of EVs, a complete reimbursement of road tax and registration fees is given till 2024. As far as public transport is concerned it proposes to replace buses in four cities with e-buses by 2024 and across the state by 2030. The policy also provides for establishing one lakh slow and fast charging stations by 2024.

A Push Towards EV Infrastructure Development

With emerging EV policy across states, the need for adequate infrastructure comes to the forefront. The Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises launched the Faster Ad option and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles (FAME-II) program in March 2019. This program seeks to encourage and support the manufacturing and adoption of EVs along with the charging infrastructure in India.

The most significant objective of FAME II is to ramp up charging infrastructure in India. The program aims to fund projects which are consistent with the 'Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles – Guidelines and Standards.'

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