New Delhi, June 29 -- In a major push towards clean mobility and pollution control, the Delhi Cabinet on Monday approved the Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy-2026, an ambitious roadmap that seeks to transform the national capital into India's largest zero-emission mobility hub. The policy, approved under the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, will come into force from July 1, 2026, after the approval of the Lieutenant Governor, and remain effective until March 31, 2030.

Announcing the decision at the Delhi Secretariat, the Chief Minister said the policy has been framed to address three key priorities, reducing pollution, building a modern transport system and providing financial benefits to citizens.

Rs 7,000 crore government investment, Rs 15,000 crore citizen benefits

The Delhi Government will invest more than Rs 7,000 crore over the next four years to implement the policy. When combined with incentives for charging infrastructure, exemptions from road tax and registration fees, and other benefits, citizens are expected to receive overall benefits worth nearly Rs 15,000 crore.

The policy allocates over Rs 1,500 crore towards purchase incentives, another Rs 1,500 crore for scrappage incentives, Rs 1,000 crore for charging infrastructure and more than Rs 3,000 crore in revenue foregone through road tax and registration fee exemptions.

"For the first time in the country, a state is implementing an EV policy backed by such a large investment and such wide-ranging incentives," Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said.

The policy focuses exclusively on zero-emission electric vehicles, while hybrid vehicles have been kept outside its ambit. It covers electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers, N1 category goods vehicles (up to 3.5 tonnes), N2 category trucks (3.5-12 tonnes) and Gramin Sewa vehicles. Notably, the government has not imposed any cap on the number of beneficiaries eligible for incentives.

Purchase incentives and scrappage benefits

To encourage EV adoption, the policy offers attractive purchase incentives. Buyers of electric two-wheelers will receive incentives of up to Rs 30,000 in the first year, Rs 20,000 in the second year, and Rs 10,000 in the third year. Electric three-wheelers will receive incentives of up to Rs 50,000, Rs 30,000, and Rs 20,000, respectively, while buyers of N1 category electric trucks will receive incentives of up to Rs 1 lakh.

The policy also introduces scrappage incentives for replacing older polluting vehicles. Owners scrapping BS-IV or older two-wheelers will receive Rs 10,000, three-wheelers RS.25,000, four-wheelers Rs 1 lakh, N1 trucks Rs 50,000, and Gramin Sewa vehicles Rs.15,000.

All electric vehicles will be exempt from road tax and registration fees. In the case of four-wheelers, the exemption will apply to electric cars with an ex-showroom price of up to Rs.30 lakh.

The incentives will be transferred directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mechanism within 60 days of application through a dedicated EV portal, which will be launched after July 1. Dealers will also be required to inform buyers at the time of booking whether a vehicle model qualifies for purchase incentives.

Phased transition to electric mobility

The policy lays down a clear roadmap for electrification across vehicle categories. From January 1, 2027, only L-5M and L-5N category electric passenger and goods-carrying auto-rickshaws, along with N1 category electric goods vehicles, will be newly registered in Delhi.

From April 1, 2028, only electric two-wheelers will be eligible for new registration in the capital.

The government has also announced the phased electrification of school buses. Electric buses must constitute at least 10 per cent of school bus fleets by the end of the second year, 20 per cent by the end of the third year, and 30 per cent by March 31, 2030.

Massive charging infrastructure expansion

A key pillar of the policy is the creation of a robust charging network. The government will establish more than 30,000 public EV charging points across Delhi over the next four years, with land already identified for the rollout. Delhi Transco Limited will act as the nodal agency for planning and implementing public charging and battery-swapping infrastructure, while a single-window clearance mechanism will facilitate approvals for charging station operators. OEMs operating in Delhi will also be required to provide charging facilities at their dealerships.

Additionally, to reduce emissions from heavy vehicles, the first 1,000 N2 category electric trucks purchased within three months of the policy notification will receive a 10-year exemption from no-entry restrictions.

Ministers highlight pollution and economic benefits

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said, "The policy is not limited to promoting the purchase of electric vehicles. It brings together clean energy, modern transport, environmental protection and financial savings for citizens. It will help reduce fuel costs, lower pollution levels and transform Delhi into a smart, sustainable and future-ready city. Delhi will emerge as the country's leading zero-emission capital in the years to come."

Power Minister Ashish Sood described the initiative as both an environmental and economic reform. "Every electric vehicle delivers a double dividend. It gives our children cleaner air to breathe while reducing India's dependence on imported fossil fuels. It is not merely an environmental decision but an economic and strategic investment in Atmanirbhar Bharat," he said. He added, "This new EV policy is truly pro-people, progressive and built for the future. It will aggressively phase out polluting vehicles and replace them with green, clean alternatives."

Transport Minister Dr. Pankaj Kumar Singh said, "The Delhi EV Policy 2026 is a future-ready roadmap that places pollution reduction at the heart of Delhi's mobility transformation. The Transport Department is fully committed to ensuring its effective implementation."

Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the policy complements the government's broader anti-pollution strategy. "The Delhi EV Policy is a major step towards reducing pollution in Delhi. The policy places significant emphasis on two-wheelers and three-wheelers, alongside benefits for small four-wheelers. I am confident that this policy will play a major role in substantially reducing pollution levels in the near future," he said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.