EV policy update: Chandigarh might reinstate incentives for electric cars

The Chandigarh UT administration, in the upcoming meeting to review the Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, may reinstate subsidies on electric four-wheelers registered in the city, The Tribune reported. 

Started in September 2022, the administration, this year, discontinued the incentives provided on the purchase of an electric car since the EV Policy's fixed quota had run out.

To make the policy more attractive and motivate people to transition towards green mobility, stakeholders are asked to give suggestions for improving the policy, citing officials, the report added.

The earlier policy offered incentives to the first 2000 buyers of electric cars. Once the quota was over, new buyers were devoid of the incentive, but continued to enjoy other benefits like exemption from road tax and registration fees.

Over the course of the five-year policy period, for the first 42,000 customers of EVs, the UT Administration has provided incentives ranging from Rs 3,000 to Rs 2 lakh. Customers who purchase the first 25,000 e-bicycles will receive an incentive of Rs 3,000, while those who purchase the first 10,000 e-two-wheelers will receive an incentive of up to Rs 30,000. Meanwhile, the initial 2,000 electric car purchasers received cash incentives ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh each.