Maharashtra government’s new web portal, thrown open last week for the registration of battery-operated vehicles, expects to receive about 1,00,000 applications under the State Electric Vehicle Policy. A gateway for sanction and disbursement of fiscal incentive to the buyers of Electric Vehicle (EVs), the portal is designed to accommodate one lakh applications including those of 70,000 battery-operated two-wheelers, 20,000 three-wheelers, and 10,000 four-wheelers. The portal could also take registration of 1,000 battery-operated buses, officials said.
As per the policy approved by the State Cabinet last year, an enabling environment is being created for the manufacture of nearly 5,00,000 EVs in the next five years. The government proposes exempting e-vehicles from road tax and registration charges. In addition, 15% subsidy will be provided to owners of first 1,00,000 EVs registered which would be ₹5,000 for two-wheelers, ₹12,000 for three-wheelers, and up to ₹1,00,000 for the four-wheelers, officials said.
Senior officials of the industries department said fiscal incentive will be admissible only to application of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) sold in Maharashtra for the first time and registered with Regional Transport Offices (RTOs). “We have ensured buyers are eligible for incentive only once. The subsidy should be applicable on the base price of eligible BEV,” said an official.
As per the policy, not only vehicles but even charging stations set up on public and private parking lots, fuel pumps, bus and railway stations and approved by local planning authority will be considered for grant of capital subsidy of 25% up to ₹10 lakh. As part of this, first 250 commercial public EV charging stations will be considered for assistance.
Senior officials said the Directorate of Industries will verify the vehicle application within 15 days. They added that as per availability of funds, and within 90 days of filing valid claim online, sanctioned subsidy amount shall be deposited directly into the buyer’s account through RTGS.
