India's electric vehicle revolution: 28.55 lakh electric two-wheelers, 2.57 lakh four-wheelers on roads
New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The total registered electric two-wheelers in the country now stands at 28,55,015, with electric four-wheelers at 2,57,169 (as on December 4), the Parliament was informed on Tuesday. As per the Vahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the total number of electric vehicles (EV) registered in Odisha stands at 1,45,479, with an adoption rate of 1.24 per cent, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel, Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. "At present, there is no proposal under consideration in the Ministry of Heavy Industries for setting up an auto R&D cluster in the state of Odisha," the minister informed. The consumers of EVs are incentivised through various government schemes, like the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme. The scheme is for a period of five years from April 1, 2019, with a total budgetary support of Rs 11,500 crore. The scheme incentivised e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-4Ws, e-buses and EV public charging stations. The production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for the automobile and auto component industry in India (PLI-Auto) has a budgetary outlay of Rs 25,938 crore. The scheme proposes financial incentives to boost domestic manufacturing of AAT products with a minimum 50 per cent Domestic Value Addition (DVA) and attract investments in the automotive manufacturing value chain. The PLI scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) was approved with a budgetary outlay of Rs 18,100 crore. The scheme aims to establish a competitive domestic manufacturing ecosystem for 50 GWh of ACC batteries, according to the government.
The PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme has an outlay of Rs 10,900 crore and was notified on September 29, 2024. It is a two-year scheme which aims to support electric vehicles including e-2W, e-3W, e-Trucks, e-buses, e-Ambulances, EV public charging stations and the upgradation of testing agencies. The Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI) was notified on March 15, 2024, to promote the manufacturing of electric cars in India. This requires applicants to invest a minimum of Rs 4,150 crore and to achieve a minimum DVA of 25 per cent at the end of the third year and a DVA of 50 per cent at the end of the fifth year. The Ministry of Finance has reduced GST on EVs from 12 per cent to 5 per cent. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) announced that the battery-operated vehicles will be given green licence plates and be exempted from permit requirements. MoRTH issued a notification advising states to waive road tax on EVs, which, in turn, will help reduce the initial cost of the EVs. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has also amended the ‘Model Building Bye-Laws’, mandating the inclusion of charging stations in private and commercial buildings.
