Bhagwant Mann approves draft EV policy to control environmental pollution

The new policy proposes waiver of registration fee and road tax, and cash incentives for buying electric vehicles.

The draft policy envisages pushing EVs to major cities like Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Patiala and Bathinda, which collectively account for more than 50 per cent of the state’s vehicles. The CM said that the new policy also envisages registration of 25 percent more electric vehicles in these cities.

Read also: Delhi government aims to install 18,000 EV charging points by 2024

Apart from these, CM Mann said that electric charging point infrastructure will be set up across the state for private and public electric vehicles.

Also, establishing the state as a hub for manufacturing EVs, their components and electric batteries, and setting up a center of excellence would be part of the state’s policy, the CM said.

The provisions of the draft policy include cash incentives to people opting for electric vehicles in the state, and waiving off registration fee and road tax on registration of these electric vehicles.

“First 1 lakh buyers of electric vehicles will get financial incentives” 10,000, while the first 10,000 buyers of electric auto rickshaws and e-rickshaws will get a concession of up to Rs. 30,000,” the statement said.

The first 5,000 e-cart buyers will get an incentive of up to Incentives will be available between 30,000 and up to the first 5,000 buyers of light commercial vehicles 30,000- 50,000, CM Mann said, before finalizing the policy, people’s views will be added.

With PTI input.

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