Delhi is quickly developing into a key sales location for electric vehicles in Delhi, EV sales so far this year have surpassed CNG sales. In a significant change in mobility options, electric vehicle sales in the nation’s capital this year accounted for around 10% of all vehicle sales.
Delhi Leads The Way
The rate of adoption of electric vehicles in Delhi has reportedly been moving considerably more quickly than initially anticipated, according to Ashish Kundra, Secretary and Commissioner at the department of transportation in Delhi, Delhi is quickly developing into a key sales location for electric vehicles. In a significant change in mobility options, electric vehicle sales in the nation’s capital this year accounted for around 10% of all vehicle sales.
“The sale of electric vehicles in Delhi is equal to the total sale in Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata,” Kundra remarked at the Mint Mobility Conclave 2022. Kundra echoed Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in asserting that the nation’s capital will adopt electric mobility more quickly than other regions of the nation.
Marching Ahead To A Greener Tomorrow
To choose a cleaner fuel, Delhi converted its public transportation vehicles to CNG years ago. Due to CNG’s cheaper price compared to gasoline or diesel, private car owners also switched. Due to the sharp increase in fuel prices over the past year, the sale of CNG vehicles has increased significantly. However, the rise in EV purchases demonstrates how the nation’s capital is embracing a greener and more sustainable form of transportation.
Kejriwal previously stated that he anticipates Delhi to experience a significant increase in electric vehicle sales this year of more than 100%. The chief minister added that with over 9% of all new vehicles purchased in Delhi being electric, the city is quickly becoming the nation’s capital of electric vehicles. This percentage is higher than the national average.
The Statistics Speaks
According to Kejriwal, 25,809 electric vehicles were sold in Delhi over the last two years or 60,846 total. Delhi has sold 29,845 electric vehicles in the first seven months of this year and is on pace to have the biggest EV sales year ever. In the national capital, Kejriwal anticipates an increase in EV sales of 115%, with potential for further growth by the end of the year.
One of the first Indian states to formulate its own electric vehicle policy for 2020 in Delhi. The Delhi EV Policy has made it possible to improve the EV infrastructure in addition to providing tax reductions and other incentives to EV buyers. According to government statistics, there are already more than 2,000 charging stations in the national capital. To reach EV users throughout Delhi, the state government wants to deploy 100 EV charging stations within the next three months.
In the last three months, EV sales have risen to almost 9% of the total vehicle sales in Delhi. In September and November 2021, EV sales were 9.2%, while in October it was 8.2% of the total sales. Meanwhile, the sales of CNG vehicles have stayed put at 7%, falling from 9.7% in September to 6.5% in November.
The Driving Forces
With as many as 9,540 EVs being sold in Delhi in the last quarter, they became the second most bought type of vehicle after petrol-run vehicles. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said: “Delhi’s progressive electric vehicle policy has turned out to be a huge success. The EV sales are gaining popularity day by day in Delhi.”
Gahlot added: “It is because of the Chief Minister’s vision that the Delhi government has been able to introduce such magnificent reforms in governance. The EV sales are six times higher in Delhi than the rest of the country.”
The EV Policy of the Delhi Government has been hailed as the most progressive in all of India. Delhi became the first state to completely exempt all EVs from paying road tax and registration fees. For more people to benefit from the subsidies, the eligibility requirements were also streamlined and made universal. The establishment of 201 charging stations has been sponsored by the Delhi government and Discoms.