Over 1,300 electric vehicles were registered in the Capital every month since the launch of the Delhi government’s ambitious Electric Vehicle Policy last year.
Private e-rickshaws providing last-mile connectivity, two-wheelers and e-rickshaws functioning as goods carriers account for the majority of EVs registered in line with the government’s vision of boosting the city’s economy, reducing pollution levels and generating employment in the city’s transport sector, a senior Transport Department official said.
According to departmental statistics, a total number of 19,007 EVs were registered in the Capital between the notification of the policy on August 7, 2020 and September 22 this year.
While e-rickshaws account for the lion’s share of 9,369 of the total, 3,898 two-wheelers, 3,474 e-rickshaws with carts for goods carrying purposes, 1,222 cars and 772 three-wheelers were also registered during the period.
“Two-wheelers account for the largest segment of vehicles on the streets of the city; so the fact that they constitute the second-most number of EVs in the Capital is a welcome development,” said Ashish Kundra, Secretary and Commissioner, Transport.
“While 30 buses were registered during the period, we have worked out the modalities of transforming the entire bus fleet into an electric one in the near future,” Mr. Kundra added.
Sources said the city government, which will soon receive 300 e-buses under the cluster scheme, is also going to float a tender for the engagement of 465 more such vehicles under this scheme in the coming days.
Bus fleet
At least 50% of Delhi’s public bus fleet, the source said, is being targeted as an exclusively EV one by the year 2025.
On August 7, following the notification of the policy, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had said that the government aimed to ensure that 25% of the newly registered vehicles across the city by 2024 were e-vehicles which, back in that month in 2020, was only 0.2%.
“Delhi is making several strides to encourage the adoption of EVs in all segments. A major step in this direction is the creation of charging infrastructure which has been taken up and will continue to be consolidated in days to come,” Mr. Kundra added.
