HYDERABAD: The state government’s newly-launched electric vehicle (EV) policy seems to be yielding results. Data obtained from the Road Transport Authority (RTA) shows there has been an increase in sale and registration of EVs within the GHMC limits.
The state government launched the TS Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy in October 2020 to promote electric vehicles between 2020 and 2030. Under the policy, there will be 100 per cent exemption on road tax and registration fee for the first two lakh electric two-wheelers purchased and registered within the state.
EV owners have already availed incentives worth Rs 39 lakh under the policy.
RTA data shows there are nearly 12,000 electric vehicles in GHMC limits at present. The majority of these are two-wheelers. Of them, 5,000 are battery-operated, 5,000 hybrid diesel-electric, and 2,000 hybrid petrol-electric vehicles. 605 of the vehicles have been sold and registered in February alone.
Prior to the unveiling of the policy, there were only 25 battery-operated vehicles in GHMC limits until 2017. The number has now increased to 5,000. Though vehicle sales in 2020 got affected due to Coronavirus pandemic, 1,360 electric vehicles were still sold.
For catering to rising number of electric vehicles, union ministry for heavy industries and public enterprises has decided to soon set up 118 EV charging stations across the city.
