Despite high fuel prices, Chandigarh has only 1,791 e-vehicles

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 22

Notwithstanding the high fuel prices, the use of electric vehicles is yet to reach the tipping point as the UT has only 1,791 active e-vehicles.

To encourage the use of electric vehicles, the UT Administration has prepared a draft electric vehicle policy to give incentives to residents. The draft policy will be unveiled soon to invite suggestions and objections, if any, from the public, said an official.

At present, these vehicles are out of the reach of the common man due to high cost and lack of infrastructure in the city.

To a question raised in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Heavy Industries Krishan Pal Gurjar submitted that the total number of active electric vehicles in Chandigarh as on December 8, 2021, was 1,791, whereas the total number of active vehicles as on December 8, 2021, was 7,20,272.

The Central Government had already sanctioned 70 charging stations for Chandigarh under the Phase II of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) India scheme.

A senior UT official said the work on installation of 37 of the 70 fast-charging stations had already been allocated and it was likely to be completed by the end of January next year.

However, 48 charging stations had already been installed in the UT till November 8 this year under Phase I of the FAME India scheme.

The minister said several steps had been taken for adoption of electric vehicles in the country. He said the government had approved a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for manufacturing of an advanced chemistry cell (ACC) in the country in order to bring down the prices of battery in the country. Drop in the battery price will result in cost reduction of electric vehicles. He said GST on electric vehicles had been reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per cent and the GST on chargers/charging stations for electric vehicles had been reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued a notification advising states to waive road tax on electric vehicles, which in turn would help reduce the initial cost of electric vehicles.