Government to have electric vehicle policy ready by December

Government of India has announced that its new electric vehicle policy will be ready by December. This new policy will aim at promoting eco-friendly vehicles to curb the rising pollution. 

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that the responsible ministers have submitted recommendations to the cabinet secretary and is now in the process of preparing a draft plan. This upcoming policy is expected to be largely based on the report submitted by NITI Aayog. The suggestions included limiting sales of petrol and diesel cars and reducing interest rates on loans and duties for electric vehicles. It was recommended that batteries for EVs should be imported in bulk to reduce the overall cost. 

The minister said there are a few Indian companies that have shown interests in investing in electric vehicles and the related infrastructure. The policy will include both light and heavy weight electric vehicles like cars and buses. In fact, the pilot project of running electric public buses and taxis will begin in Nagpur on May 26. Depending on the response, this initiative will be replicated in other Indian cities. 

India plans to slash its oil import bill to half by 2030 and also reduce its emissions as a part of its commitment to the Paris climate treaty. The government knows that the poor sales of electric vehicles is because of high battery costs and lack of proper infrastructure for charging. This new policy is expected to change the Indian automotive industry.