India, Aug. 28 -- The Centre has proposed changes to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, that would exclude certain low-powered, two-wheeled, battery-operated vehicles from being treated as motor vehicles under the Motor Vehicles Act. The draft rules, notified by the ministry of road transport and highways published on Thursday, propose that the changes come into force from October 1, 2026.

Under the proposed definition, a two-wheeled, battery-operated vehicle would not be deemed a motor vehicle if a specified testing agency verifies that it has an electric motor with a 30-minute power of less than 0.6 kW and a maximum speed below 25 kmph.

For pedal-assisted vehicles with an auxiliary electric motor, the draft additionally requires ...