Delhi Mandates Electric-Only Two-Wheelers By 2028

Synopsis

In a bid to deal with the ever rampant air pollution problem in the capital, the Delhi government has unveiled its EV policy 2.0, which will make it mandatory for all new two-wheelers and three-wheelers registered in the city to be electric from April 2028. The shift reflects dropping incentives to adopt to a no-denying registration requirement for the single largest fleet of vehicles in the City

The Phased Timeline

The implementation will take place in phases before the official 2028 target. Starting January 1, 2027, electric three-wheelers (including electric autos) will be allowed for fresh registration in Delhi while from April 1, 2028, only electric two-wheelers will be permitted for new registration. There will be no new registration of petrol two-wheelers after 31st March 2028.

The strategy is structural change from previous policies, officials say. The policy follows the previous attempts made by the Delhi government under the EV policy, in which incentives had played a vital role, with the new draft policy having a clear registration mandate and the continuation of incentives.

The advantages of using two-wheelers are clear

The justification is based on the volume that the segment contributes to the city's emissions footprint. Delhi has almost 67% of its vehicle population as two-wheelers and their speedy electrification is essential to lower transport induced pollution.

A report released by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has stated that vehicles are the main source of PM2.5 pollution in Delhi during the winter season, accounting for approximately 23% of the pollution.

Research bodies such as TERI, IIT Kanpur and SAFAR have independently pointed out the excessive contribution of the segment, as secondary particulate matter (SPM) from two-wheeler exhaust gases is responsible for around 27% of PM2.5 in the city during the winter season

The incentives that are available in addition to the mandate

The policy will continue to provide financial support to those buyers making early changeovers to do so in a soft way. Those who have bought e-2Ws before the deadline will get cash incentives of ₹30,000 for the first year, ₹20,000 for the second year and ₹10,000 for the third year, in addition to their road tax and registration exemptions.

Full tax exemptions will also be available for electric cars with a price tag of up to ₹30 lakh ex-showroom till March 2030. Interestingly, the final policy no longer includes incentives for good hybrid vehicles, instead it only considers pure battery electric vehicles.

Infrastructure Push

That sort of mandate will require charging access to match demand. The policy envisions to have over 30,000 public charging stations across Delhi to meet the demand of two-wheeler users, who constitute the core of the city's daily commute and last-mile connectivity and experience range anxiety.

Outlook

Delhi's timelines are now some of the most explicit in the Indian state seeking similar changes, and industry stakeholders soon will respond to the implementation plan, especially on manufacturing capacity and the pace of charging rollout.