Govt proposes five-year age extension for EVs, hydrogen and CNG-powered vehicles

The government has proposed extending the permissible age of battery-operated, hydrogen fuel-based and natural gas-driven vehicles by five years under the national permit framework, as part of a wider overhaul of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed the changes on Tuesday through draft amendments to the CMVR, with the government inviting objections and suggestions for 30 days. The amendments will take effect only after their final publication in the Official Gazette.

The proposed extension applies to vehicles covered under Rule 88, which governs national permits, and is aimed specifically at cleaner commercial vehicles rather than all vehicles operating under the permit system.

The move comes as the government seeks to encourage the adoption of cleaner technologies in commercial transport. Electric truck adoption in India remains limited, with 6,220 electric trucks sold in 2024, of which only 280 were above 3.5 tonnes, according to a 2025 NITI Aayog report. High upfront costs and limited access to financing have been identified as major constraints.

A longer operating life could allow fleet owners more time to recover the higher initial cost of alternative-fuel vehicles.

Longer national permit option

MoRTH has also proposed allowing national permit authorisations to be issued electronically for up to five years at a time, instead of requiring annual renewal.

The fee would remain ₹16,500 per year, meaning an applicant opting for the maximum five-year period would pay ₹82,500.

The draft seeks to move more of the national permit process online. Applications in Form 46 and authorisations in Form 47 would be processed electronically, while electronic payment receipts would also be recognised.

Greater use of VAHAN

The proposed amendments would expand the role of the VAHAN database in vehicle-related applications.

Information required in Forms 16, 46 and 48 could be automatically retrieved from VAHAN once the relevant dealership authorisation certificate or vehicle registration number is provided. Applicants would only need to enter information that is not already available on the portal.

The revised forms would also capture additional details, including GST registration number, PAN, Udyam registration and Corporate Identification Number for dealers, where applicable.

For vehicle owners, Form 20 would require an Aadhaar-linked mobile number. It would also include the agreement or loan account number for vehicles purchased or financed under hire-purchase, lease or hypothecation arrangements.

Form 48 would additionally capture details of the vehicle's valid registration certificate, insurance, pollution under control certificate and fitness certificate. Pending challans and details of any previous national permit held by the vehicle would also have to be provided.

Changes to temporary registration

The draft proposes changes to the validity of temporary registrations.

A chassis without a body would receive temporary registration for six months from the date of issue. If it remains in a workshop beyond this period for body fitting, or because of circumstances beyond the owner's control, the registering authority could extend the validity by 30 days at a time, subject to an application and payment of the prescribed fee.

For fully built vehicles being converted into adapted vehicles, or those intended to be registered in a state different from the state where the dealer is located, temporary registration would be valid for 45 days.