The Gujarat government, on Tuesday, announced a new electric vehicle (EV) policy as part of the move to strengthen the electric vehicle ecosystem in the State. The policy —Gujarat Electric Vehicle Policy 2021 was announced by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and aims to make the state a hub for e-vehicles.

“With an aim to witness 2 lakh electric vehicles on the roads of Gujarat in next 4 years, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani declared Gujarat Electric Vehicle Policy 2021,” said the State Information Department.

Through the policy, Gujarat is also planning to encourage young startups and investors in the field of electric mobility. As part of the policy, the government is planning to increase the number of charging stations across the state. The government will give a subsidy upto Rs. 20,000 for two-wheelers, Rs.50,000 for three-wheelers and Rs.1,50,000 for four-wheelers will be directly credited to bank accounts through DBT.

“Currently, the state has 278 charging stations, the infrastructure for new 250 charging stations is planned which will take the total tally to 528 stations,” said Mr. Rupani. 

The petrol pumps will be given approval for establishing charging stations, charging facilities will be set up at housing and commercial infrastructures. Also, the e-vehicle registered at Gujarat RTO will be exempted from registration fees.

Industry welcomes

Commenting on the new policy, Mr. Shailesh Chandra, President, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “We welcome the move by the Gujarat Government, offering incentive support for all categories of electric vehicles. The support extended towards charging infrastructure will accelerate the ecosystem development and bring greater comfort for EV buyers. ”

With the new policy announcement, Gujarat follows many other states that have created EV policies and offer subsidies. Some of the other states that have EV policies are Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttarakhand.

“The incentives will make vehicles more affordable and accessible to the end consumers and will accelerate the charging infrastructure in the state. More progressive policies coming into play will certainly fast-track electric mobility adoption in the country,” said Mr. Tarun Mehta, CEO and Co-founder, Ather Energy.