Delhi’s EV Policy 2.0: A Shift Towards Electric Vehicles
Delhi is preparing to implement Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2.0, a move that could significantly reshape the city’s transportation landscape. The proposed policy, which has reportedly received in-principle approval from Delhi Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, aims to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles across all categories.
The most notable feature of the policy is the potential mandate that the third private car purchased by any household must be electric. Additionally, the policy will likely prohibit the registration of new fossil fuel-powered three-wheelers starting August of this year. Two-wheelers that run on petrol, diesel, or CNG will also be excluded from registration from August 2026.
According to reports, the policy will soon be presented to the cabinet for final approval. The policy outlines “bold targets” for EV adoption across all vehicle categories. “In some categories, we hope that we will be able to achieve 100 per cent new vehicles being registered are EVs in Delhi. We have also developed strategies around how this will be done,” a senior transport official said.
The policy has a phased approach to implementation.
- Three-Wheelers: No CNG three-wheelers or goods carriers will be registered in Delhi after August 2025. Existing CNG auto permits will not be renewed, and instead, will be converted into e-auto permits.
- Two-Wheelers: After August 2026, Delhi will cease the registration of any petrol, diesel, or CNG-run two-wheelers.
- Municipal Vehicles: All municipal garbage collection vehicles operated by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will be converted to electric fleets by 2027.
To support this transition, the government plans to install over 13,200 charging stations across Delhi, ensuring a station every five kilometers. The previous policy had aimed for 48,000 charging points by 2026, but only a small percentage of this target has been met.
The overarching goal of the new policy is to ensure that 95 percent of all new vehicles registered in Delhi are electric by 2027, and 98 percent by 2030. The previous policy had aimed for 25 percent EV registrations by 2024, but only achieved 13-14 percent.
Officials cited in reports have stated the policy’s four key objectives are: to combat air pollution and improve public health, to create livelihood opportunities in the EV ecosystem, to enhance energy security and grid resilience, and to ensure an equitable and affordable EV transition.
The Delhi government is also expanding its electric bus fleet, with the expected procurement of additional e-buses to bring the total count to around 3,000 by the end of the year. They also mandated that all government vehicle purchases be electric vehicles.
