Chandigarh hikes EV subsidy: Women EV owners can avail incentives of up to ₹37,500

To promote the adoption of electric vehicles, the Chandigarh UT administration has declared a hike in subsidies for electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers. The policy will focus especially on women customers, who will be eligible to receive incentives of up to ₹37,500.

The subsidy for electric bicycles has increased from ₹4,000 to ₹6,000, while for electric two-wheelers, it has doubled from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 per kWh. The maximum incentive which a female buyer can avail is ₹37,500 per vehicle, or ₹12,500 per kWh.

Under the direction of Chief Secretary Rajiv Verma, the EV Policy's fourth review meeting made the latest decisions. In addition, the decision was also made to raise the subsidy cap on electric cars bought for personal use from 2,000 to 3,500 units, in recognition of the increased interest in EVs among drivers.

The UT aims to ensure that by 2025-26, 18 out of every 100 new vehicles sold in Chandigarh are electric. It hopes that the upcoming festive season, especially Diwali, when vehicle purchases see a spike, and the revised subsidies may drive it closer to its target.

By 2025–2026, the UT aims to guarantee that 18 of every 100 new vehicles sold in Chandigarh are electric. It anticipates that the enhanced incentives and the approaching holiday season, particularly Diwali, when vehicle sales are expected to soar, will help it come closer to its goal.

Introduced in 2022, the goal of the UT administration's five-year EV policy was to discourage the use of polluting vehicles and phase out registrations for fuel-powered vehicles over time.

Meanwhile, on November 23, 2023, then-UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit removed the cap on non-electric car registration in response to demand from interested parties.