TN government amends policy to ease registration of E-Rickshaw and E-taxis

The TN Government recently issued a directive stating that Passenger Vehicles (PVS) falling under the category of battery-operated vehicles, including E-rickshaws, E-taxis, and electric motor-powered buses, will be granted permits by the Transport Department without any associated fee in an effort to greatly promote the adoption of electric vehicles in Tamil Nadu. The most recent order also applies to passenger vehicles that use methanol or ethanol as fuel. As a consequence, the state will immediately begin the registration procedure for EVs used in passenger transport, increasing total EV adoption.

Previously, the permits were not required for PVs that used batteries or were powered by methanol or ethanol. In 2018, the Indian government's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said that battery-operated PVs, including those powered by methanol or ethanol, were exempt from acquiring permission.

On June 16, 2023, Dr TRB Rajaa, the Minister for Industries, was made aware of this specific problem by leaders from the electric vehicle (EV) industry during a roundtable discussion hosted by Guidance Tamil Nadu. The minister went to Chief Minister Thiru MK Stalin, who commanded that the required instructions be issued right once to develop the enabling laws that would permit the use of battery-operated shared passenger vehicles on the roadways.

Dr Rajaa commented on the development by saying, “This shows how accommodating this administration is to business demands. We are able to implement policy changes rapidly because of the Honourable CM Thiru MK Stalin's capable leadership, which enables us to address issues as they arise.”

P Amudha, Principal Secretary to the Government, Transport Department, issued an order earlier this week on June 28th, 2023, highlighting that the Transport Department must issue a permit to all battery-operated transport vehicles as well as vehicles using methanol or ethanol fuel (except goods vehicles whose Gross Vehicle Weight is below 3000 kgs) without charging a fee. This has been viewed as a significant milestone in the state of Tamil Nadu's embrace of electric vehicles.

By putting this legislation into effect, the government would have more ability to hasten Tamil Nadu's adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). The administration wants to encourage the widespread adoption and use of EVs throughout the state, hence it is assisting this modification. "We are also striving to improve the infrastructure for EV charging throughout Tamil Nadu based on feedback from the industry. The demand for EVs in the state will undoubtedly increase dramatically as a result of all these actions,” according to Dr Rajaa.