Hyderabad: The state government’s draft electric vehicle policy has many sops for consumers and manufacturer. For EV buyers, it proposes not collecting lifetime road tax as well as exemption from all fees under the Motor Vehicles Act 1988 (fee for registration, fitness renewal and permits) for EVs purchased till 2023.
To encourage manufacturers, the government proposes an EV promotion fund of Rs 500 crore for adoption and charging infrastructure development. A cross-departmental steering committee will manage the fund.
The government has prepared a strategic roadmap for fund utilisation with milestones and measurable outcomes will be developed in consultation with global EV promotion bodies.
Besides incentives from the Centre, the government has decided to give state tax waivers on all EVs purchased till 2023 to bridge the price gap between EVs and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
The EV policy has been targeted towards a planned migration to battery run vehicles including 100 per cent in public transport and shared mobility services by 2030. A senior official from the automotive industries and commerce department said tax waivers and road tax exemption would attract customers. He said the government has decided to set up charging stations every 50 km on highways to cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Chennai, followed by other national/state highways. Batteries can be swapped at these centres instead of the EV owner having to charge the battery.
This apart, the official said that Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited in the city and TSRTC depots across the state will provide reserved parking and charging points for two-wheelers to encourage EVs for last mile commute.
He said that the government will develop night time community parking with charging facility in public-private partnership (PPP) mode for e-autorickshaws, taxis and public transport vehicles within industrial zones.
