Quota exhausted, now no financial incentive on buying new electric car in Chandigarh

In a major setback to those planning to switch to green mobility, the UT Administration has discontinued the incentives given on purchase of electric cars, as the quota fixed in the Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy, which was unveiled in September 2022, has been exhausted.

According to officials of Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (CREST), the nodal agency for implementation of the EV Policy in the city, the quota to give incentive to buyers of first 2,000 cars has been fully utilised.

In the policy, the UT Administration has offered incentives in the range from Rs 3,000 to Rs 2 lakh for the first 42,000 buyers of e-vehicles of all categories during the policy period of five years. The policy offers an incentive of Rs 3,000 to the buyers of first 25,000 e-bicycles and a maximum of Rs 30,000 to the buyers of first 10,000 e-two-wheelers. The buyers of the first 2,000 electric cars had availed financial benefit up to Rs 1.5 lakh each.

In the e-two-wheeler category, incentives have been availed by buyers of 6,000 e-bikes so far, whereas, not a single application has been received to avail the financial benefit by the buyers of e-bicycles till date, stated officials.

Registration fee, road tax waiver to continue

The buyers of the first 2,000 electric cars had availed benefit up to Rs 1.5 lakh each.

New buyers will not be eligible for the incentive, but they would continue to avail other benefits such as a complete waiver on registration fee and road tax.

Chandigarh