India has 13.34 lakh electric vehicles: Govt

About 13.34 lakh electric vehicles are currently in use in India compared with 27.81 crore non-electric vehicles, according to the latest data released by the government.

Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of electric vehicles in the country (3.37 lakh EVs), followed by Delhi at 1.56 lakh, shows data released by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

Karnataka is a distant third with 1.20 lakh electric vehicles in use. Maharashtra ranks fourth with 1.16 lakh EVs. Bihar takes the fifth spot with 83,335 electric vehicles.

The overall data doesn't include the number of electric vehicles in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Lakshadweep.

Uttar Pradesh also has the highest number of non-electric vehicles at 4 crore, followed by Maharashtra at 3.10 crore vehicles.

To promote the faster adoption of electric vehicles in the country, the government approved a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for manufacturing of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) in May 2021.

This move was aimed at bringing down battery prices in the country. Any drop in battery price will result in cost reduction of electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles are covered under Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Automobile and Auto Components, which was approved on September 15, 2021 with a budgetary outlay of ₹25,938 crore for a period of five years.

To make EVs affordable, the government had earlier reduced GST on electric vehicles from 12% to 5%. GST on chargers and charging stations for electric vehicles was also cut from 18% to 5%.

Battery-operated vehicles are given green licence plates and are exempted from permit requirements.

The Centre had announced the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme in 2015 with an aim to reduce dependency on fossil fuel and to address issues of vehicular emissions.

Under Phase-I of FAME India Scheme, 479 charging stations have been installed as on July 1, 2022.

Currently, Phase-II of the FAME India Scheme is being implemented for a period of five years with a total budgetary allocation of ₹10,000 crore.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries has sanctioned 2,877 electric vehicle charging stations in 68 cities across 25 states and union territories under Phase-II of FAME India.

Around 1,576 charging stations have also been sanctioned across 9 expressways and 16 highways under Phase II of the FAME India Scheme.

The demand incentive under Phase II of FAME India Scheme has been increased to ₹15,000 per KWh from ₹10,000 per KWh with an increase in cap from 20% to 40% of the cost of vehicle, thus putting cost of electric two-wheelers on par with that of ICE two-wheeler, the ministry says.

This comes at a time when electric vehicle companies in India have come under the government radar after a series of fire incidents with e-scooter batteries. The government has urged electric vehicle makers to voluntarily recall all defective EVs.