Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched the ‘Switch Delhi’ campaign and said his government will ensure that within the next six months, only electric vehicles are hired by different departments. Under the campaign, awareness will be created about the benefits of electric vehicles and how they can contribute to making Delhi clean and pollution-free, he said.
The chief minister appealed to the people to join the campaign to promote the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and contribute towards the fight against pollution in Delhi.
Kejriwal asked delivery chains and big companies, resident welfare associations, market associations, malls, and cinema halls to promote electric vehicles and set up charging stations in their premises.
The Delhi government’s electric vehicle policy is considered one of the best in the world and it’s high time now to implement it with commitment, he said.
The ‘Switch Delhi’ campaign is intended to spread awareness about the benefits of electric vehicles and how they can contribute to making Delhi clean and pollution-free.
“I appeal to the people to take part in the campaign to promote the replacement of polluting petrol and diesel vehicles with electric vehicles and make a contribution towards a pollution-free Delhi,” he said.
Under its electric vehicle policy, the Delhi government has planned extensive subsidies on the purchase of electric two-wheelers and four-wheelers, besides waiving road tax and registration charges, he said. Incentives on EVs range from a maximum of Rs 30,000 for two and three-wheelers and up to Rs 1,50,000 on the purchase of 4-wheelers. The subsidy is received directly in the bank account within three days of the purchase of an electric vehicle.
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More than 6,000 electric vehicles have been purchased since the policy launch in August 2020. The government has also issued tenders for setting up 100 charging stations across the city, Kejriwal said.
The government has fixed an ambitious target of 25 percent electric vehicles among total vehicle registrations in Delhi by 2024, he said.
Reacting to the beginning of the new campaign, Dr Yogesh Bhatia, Founder, Detel stated that the future of the EV industry looks promising as the need for environment-friendly and cost-effective personal mobility increases. Delhi government’s focus on e-mobility as a sustainable solution to address climate change will definitely bear fruit in the forthcoming years.
“We are certain that this mass awareness campaign would provide the much-required impetus to accelerate the adoption of EVs in the national capital. The government is doing a commendable job in nurturing a supportive ecosystem and awareness amongst individuals and businesses will only ensure deeper penetration of EVs and in turn revolutionise mobility,” Jeetender Sharma, MD & Founder, Okinawa Autotech, said.
