Gahlot urges all commercial vehicle owners to shift 50 pc of their entire fleet to electric vehicles by 2023
New Delhi, Mar 21 (FN Representative) Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot on Sunday urged all commercial vehicle owners to switch 50 per cent of their entire fleet to electric vehicles by 2023 and 100 per cent fleet by 2025. Mr Gahlot said the Delhi Government will soon introduce the interest subvention scheme of 5 per cent to be offered through the Delhi Finance Corporation to provide easy financing option for commercial vehicle owners to transition to EVs. He said the Delhi Government is working on a plan to allow electric goods carriers to ply on the streets of Delhi during all hours. The seventh week of the Switch Delhi campaign will focus on raising and creating awareness among one of the most important segments – commercial fleet vehicle owners comprising two-wheelers, three-wheelers, cab aggregators, goods carriers, freight vehicles – thereby targeting a large group to adopt and promote electric vehicles in the National Capital.
Commercial vehicles ply on the streets for majority of the day and therefore contribute significantly to vehicular pollution, the Delhi Government said in a statement here on Sunday. ‘To encourage and promote a smooth transition of commercial vehicles to electric vehicles, the Delhi government has taken many progressive steps under the Delhi Electric Vehicle policy launched in August 2020. Delhi today provides the most favorable policy framework across India for commercial vehicles to transition to EVs,’ Mr Gahlot said.
Highlighting the steps taken by the Kejriwal Government to ensure the effortless and rapid transition of commercial vehicles to electric vehicles, Mr Gahlot, said, ‘The Delhi Government is offering the most generous financial incentives across the entire range of vehicles that fleet companies utilize. All the categories of vehicles, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheeler freight vehicles, goods carriers, electric rickshaws, electric carts, electric-cars are eligible to avail huge financial incentives under the Delhi EV Policy.’ Mr Gahlot added, ‘By switching to an electric vehicle, the fleet owners would not only take a step towards ensuring the better air quality in the national capital but can save money annually. A two-wheeler fleet owner can save up to Rs 22,000 annually by switching to electric.’ Many fleet companies are eager to support Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s vision of making Delhi the EV capital of India.
However, they were struggling to transition their fleet to an electric vehicle due to lack of financing. Taking this into consideration, Mr Gahlot said, ‘The Delhi Government has taken a pioneering step in reducing the rate of interest by introducing the interest subvention scheme of 5 per cent which will be offered through the Delhi Finance Corporation (DFC). This scheme is at the advanced stage of drafting and will be announced soon. This scheme can be availed by all range of vehicles and will ensure easy access of finance to fleet companies willing to upgrade their fleet to electric.’ He added, ‘Fleet vehicles ply for the maximum duration on the streets of Delhi and can contribute significantly to bring down the pollution levels in the National Capital by switching to an EVs’. Currently, there is a restriction on goods carriers to ply on the roads of Delhi during peak hours to avoid congestion.
‘To incentivise this transition, the Delhi Government has taken the most progressive step under the Delhi electric Vehicle Policy to allow electric good carriers to ply on the streets of Delhi during all hours. This was based on the feedback provided by the fleet companies and we are working on the roll out plan of this major decision. I’m sure this will encourage more and more companies to switch their fleet to electric,’ Mr Gahlot said. The Delhi Government has urged the fleet companies in Delhi to plan a time-bound transition of their entire fleet to electric vehicles. ‘Fleet operators must show their commitment to the vision of green Delhi and making Delhi the EV capital of India by pledging to upgrade 50 per cent of the entire fleet to electric vehicles by 2023 and 100 per cent fleet by 2025,’ Mr Gahlot added. Switch Delhi is an eight-week mass awareness campaign by the Delhi Government to sensitize every Delhiite about the benefits of switching to EVs to the environment as well as to make them aware of the incentives and infrastructure being developed under Delhi’s EV policy. The campaign aims at informing, encouraging, and motivating each person in Delhi to switch from polluting vehicles to zero-emission electric vehicles.