Maharashtra govt will buy or rent only EVs from April 2022, says Aaditya Thackeray – EQ Mag Pro
The Maharashtra govt had in early July announced its new EV policy with an aim to have a 10 per cent share of the electric vehicles in total registrations by 2025.
The existing fleet of vehicles with various Maharashtra government departments can not be replaced or scrapped immediately as it would cost a lot of money to the exchequer, Thackeray said
Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday said that all government departments in the state will opt for only electric vehicles (EVs) if they need to procure new vehicles from April next year.
The existing fleet of vehicles with various state government departments can not be replaced or scrapped immediately as it would cost a lot of money to the exchequer, Thackeray said.
“But as per our new policy, from April 2022 if any state government department wants to buy or rent a new vehicle, it will opt for electric vehicles,” the Maharashtra tourism minister said while speaking to reporters. He had a meeting with various stakeholders here with the aim of making Pune city “carbon neutral” by 2030.
Thackeray also said the state government is planning a series of consultations with stakeholders on the seamless implementation of the recently announced electric vehicle policy.
The minister, earlier in the day, visited the premises of Pune-based electric vehicle maker Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Ltd to assess the potential and for further growth of the electric vehicle space, according to a statement.
The Maharashtra government had in early July announced its new EV policy with an aim to have a 10 per cent share of the electric vehicles in total registrations by 2025.
The state government, under the updated version of the EV policy announced in 2018, also wants to achieve a 25 per cent EV share in public transport in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik.
The policy includes converting 15 per cent of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation fleet into EVs by 2025, besides intending to make the state the top producer of battery-driven vehicles in the country in terms of annual production capability.
“Aggressive implementation of the EV policy is critical. The Government of Maharashtra is planning a series of stakeholder consultations to ensure that any issues on the ground are addressed rapidly for smooth implementation (of the policy),” the statement quoted Thackeray as saying.
The minister also reiterated the commitment of the state government to implement EV purchase schemes by the state government for various applications such as bus and car purchases and also electric vehicles for waste management as well as for tourism, it said.
Maharashtra is a leading automobile manufacturing hub in the country; and in the backdrop of the new EV policy for the state, it is keen to become a leading state for electric vehicle manufacturing and deployment.
The policy envisages sops for manufacturing electric vehicles and components, charging ecosystem creation and incentives to electric vehicle buyers. Under the policy, state government departments will also be mandated to procure electric vehicles for their requirements, Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions said.
A pioneer in the EV manufacturing space in the country, Kinetic Green has a robust in-house government-approved R&D centre. It offers a wide range of EVs, including e-three-wheelers for passenger as well as cargo applications, e-two-wheelers and a range of e-smart carts, including golf cars and buggies for tourism.
Kinetic Green founder and CEO Sulajja Firodia Motwani said, “Kinetic Green is committed to promoting electric vehicle technology as well as skill development in Maharashtra.”
Motwani added that Kinetic Green plans to invest ₹300 crore in electric two- and three-wheelers as well as golf car model development and capacity expansion in Maharashtra, at its EV manufacturing facilities in Ahmednagar and Pune districts over the next few years.
Source: livemint
