In a move to tackle the perennial hazard of air pollution in national capital Delhi, the BJP government may soon say goodbye to petrol, diesel, and CNG autorickshaws and two-wheelers if the draft Electric Vehicles (EV) Policy 2.0 gets the green signal.

The policy proposes a complete ban on fossil-fuel-powered two-wheelers from August 15, 2026. Additionally, CNG auto permits will not be renewed from August 15 this year. All such permits will be substituted or reissued with only e-auto permits.

All CNG autorickshaws more than 10 years old will be mandatorily replaced or retrofitted to be run on batteries during the policy period. The draft EV 2-0 policy is being framed by the Delhi Government in consultation with the Centre. It is estimated that one lakh three-seater autos (TSR) currently have been allowed to ply in Delhi, through an order of the top court in November 2011. Before this, only 55,000 autos were allowed to operate as they used to run on “polluting fuels” such as petrol and diesel. For three-wheeler goods carriers, the deadline is August 15, 2025.

The policy also proposes that all intra-city buses operated by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) must be electric. Only BS-VI compliant buses will be allowed for inter-State routes. No new fossil fuel-based buses will be procured for capital city use under the new policy. Private vehicle owners may also be impacted. Also, private car owners will have to buy electric cars if they already own two vehicles run on traditional fuels. This recommendation will be effective after the notification of the EV Policy 2.0.

The draft also recommends phasing out all petrol, diesel, and CNG-powered garbage collection vehicles operated by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and Delhi Jal Board. These are to be fully converted to electric by December 31, 2027.

The draft policy may undergo changes during Cabinet nod, particularly regarding the recommendation related to two-wheelers, officials said The Delhi Government extended its current Electric Vehicle (EV) policy by 15 days following its expiry on March 31. This extension is expected to be the final, as the new draft policy is almost complete, officials said.

The policy will be notified after its approval by the Delhi Cabinet. It seeks to improve the situation vis-a-vis air pollution in Delhi through the replacement of large number of fossil fuel-run vehicles in an aggressive manner, they added.

The Delhi government aims to ensure that 25 per cent of all new vehicles in Delhi should be battery-operated by 2024, even though the current adoption rate remains in single digits. Therefore, if implemented, the new EV policy will be a tectonic shift for all stakeholders in such a short time.

Given the abrupt nature of the revised EV policy, there is bound to be chaos. The vehicle owners will have to rely on limited charging infrastructure, especially public charging stations that will become overcrowded if this policy comes into effect.

Since August 2020, Delhi recorded registration of 26,787 two-wheelers, 31,506 three-wheelers, 5,266 four-wheelers and 323 buses. The ambition initially was to change 25 per cent of all vehicles to EVs by 2024. The achievement, according to the ,website is just 13 to 14 per cent. Now, the draft policy aims at achieving 95 per cent EVs by 2027.