NEW DELHI, Oct. 11 -- More than three months after the government issued operational guidelines for electric ambulance subsidies, not a single zero-emission ambulance has been registered under the Rs.11,900 crore PM E-DRIVE scheme, according to data from the government's VAHAN registry of new vehicles. Despite their potential for electrification, electric ambulances have yet to gain traction, raising questions about whether subsidies can overcome barriers to adoption.

The scheme has earmarked Rs.500 crore for electric ambulances, offering an incentive of up to Rs.30,000 per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity, capped at 35% of the vehicle's upfront cost, whichever is lower. It covers three categories of ambulances: patient transport vehicl...