Delhi EV Policy 2026-2030: A Radical Shift to Electric Mobility

The Delhi Government’s draft EV Policy marks a radical shift from voluntary adoption to mandatory electrification, aiming to curb vehicular pollution (23% of winter smog). It combines aggressive subsidies with hard bans on new ICE vehicle registrations. Financial Boosts: Two-Wheelers: Up to ₹30,000 subsidy in Year 1, tapering to ₹10,000 by Year 3. Three-Wheelers: ₹50,000 in Year 1, dropping to ₹30,000. Cars: ₹1 lakh incentive in Year 1, plus 100% road tax exemption for EVs under ₹30 lakh until 2030. Scrappage: Extra ₹1 lakh for scrapping old BS-IV vehicles. Hybrids: 50% tax break for strong hybrids under ₹30 lakh. Hard Deadlines: Jan 1, 2027: Only electric three-wheelers can be newly registered. April 1, 2028: Only electric two-wheelers allowed for new registration. Fleets: Delivery aggregators must stop adding ICE two-wheelers by Dec 2026. Govt vehicles and 30% of school buses must be electric by 2030. Impact & Challenges: EVs will become 15–20% cheaper for Delhi residents, boosting mass-market sales. However, strict bans may push ICE buyers to register vehicles in neighboring Haryana or UP, creating a "border effect" enforcement challenge. Critics also note the policy misses an opportunity to support Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS), which could lower upfront costs further. For manufacturers like Tata, Ola, and TVS, the clear timeline ensures demand visibility, though supply chains for batteries and components must scale rapidly to meet the target of 11,000 e-buses and thousands of autos. Success depends on building 36,000 charging stations by 2030. The message is clear: The era of petrol two-wheelers and autos in Delhi is ending.