Delhi's Petrol Two Wheeler Ban: New Timeline Revealed
Just a few days ago, it was announced by the government of Delhi that the ban on ICE two-wheelers would not be implemented. Unfortunately, the government has once again made a U-turn on its statement and will now be banning ICE-powered two-wheelers by April 1st, 2027. As per the government, this new ban will prohibit the sale of new petrol, diesel, and CNG-powered vehicles. This is being done to promote the sales of electric two-wheelers in the capital of India.
New draft policy on ICE vehicle ban in Delhi
In its most recent announcement, the government of Delhi has stated that two-wheelers make up a large chunk of Delhi's vehicle fleet. For this reason, from April 1st, 2027, onwards, no new ICE two-wheelers will be registered. Also, the government will be implementing a cap on the number of ICE cars that can be owned by a single household in Delhi.
It has been stated that only two ICE cars will be allowed per household, and any household that wishes to add another car will need to opt for an electric car. Once again, with this cap, the government wants to “curb” the rising pollution levels of the city.
In addition to this rule, the new draft policy announced by the government of Delhi has also highlighted that around Rs 29,000 will be provided as a cash incentive towards the purchase of an electric bike or scooter. On top of this, no local taxes will be charged on hybrid vehicles, which will help in bringing down the cost of hybrids closer to that of electric vehicles.
Petrol to get more expensive
The government is also planning to charge an additional Rs 0.5 per litre of petrol sold in the city. Now, you may be wondering why they would be charging extra. Well, the answer is that this same Rs 0.5 per litre tax will be used to provide the EV purchase incentives mentioned above.
Additionally, this fund will also help in expanding the charging infrastructure of the city to support the influx of new EVs. The government of Delhi is aiming to help in the installation of 13,200+ EV chargers across the city. It added that the new residential buildings will be required to have EV charging points. Additionally, fast charging corridors will be set up along the Ring Road and Outer Ring Road.
How much should EVs contribute to sales?
As per the government of Delhi, its aim is to make sure that 30 percent of all vehicles sold in the city are electric vehicles by 2030. This particular figure is currently at 2.7 percent. In simple terms, the ambitious Delhi government wants a growth of 10X in the sales of electric vehicles in the city.
The total cost of this entire EV revolution planned by the government of Delhi will be around Rs 2,744 crore (approximately). It has been reported that this policy is currently under draft, and the government is open to hearing feedback from automakers, the public, and industry stakeholders.
What will be the impact on the people of Delhi?
Well, it goes without saying that, like the other policies, with this EV revolution, the lower and middle class of Delhi will suffer the most. Currently, millions of lower-class families are not even able to afford used ICE vehicles. So, asking them to buy an expensive EV (even with incentives) is something that makes no sense.