Maharashtra among top five states with the most comprehensive EV policies: Report – EQ Mag

Maharashtra is also among the top nine states with the strongest demand-side incentives, among the seven states that have defined targets for fleet electrification, and among the 10 states that mandate the creation of charging points in new constructions of residential complexes, offices, and malls

Maharashtra is among the top five states with the most comprehensive EV policy designs, according to a study by Climate Trends titled ‘Analysis of state Electric Vehicle Policies and Their Impact’.

The report that has assessed the comprehensiveness of the state EV policies based on 21 parameters that cover targets and budget allocations, demand side and manufacturing incentives, and focus on fleet electrification, charging infrastructure mandates and job creation said that the state has covered 15 parameters.

Maharashtra is also among the top nine states with the strongest demand-side incentives, among the leading seven states that have defined targets for fleet electrification, and among the 10 states that mandate the creation of charging points in new constructions of residential complexes, offices, and malls.

The report also analyses the progress of eight policies that have been active for two years or more. It shows that none of them are on track to meet their targets of EV penetration, charging infrastructure, or investments.

Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends, has said in the report that with e-mobility expansion placed as one of the key pillars in achieving faster decarbonisation across the country, the success of state EV policies is both significant and necessary for India’s carbon reduction goals.

“It is a good sign that the majority of Indian states have EV policies. However, a successful transition to zero-emission transport depends on the effectiveness of their design and implementation. It also depends on having a national transport electrification target, which currently does not exist in India. Our study shows that a few state policies have comprehensive designs which balance EV sales, manufacturing, and overall ecosystem growth,” Khosla said.

Khosla said in the report that there are gaps in implementation, leading to slower on-ground impact, that need to be addressed through better regulation, improved monitoring, mechanisms, and capacity building of stakeholders across the policy value chain.

Aarti Khosla, director of Climate Trends, has said in the report that with e-mobility expansion placed as one of the key pillars in achieving faster decarbonisation across the country, the success of state EV policies is both significant and necessary for India’s carbon reduction goals.

“Our study aims to facilitate peer-to-peer learning among states, identify gaps in policy design and implementation, and provide recommendations to address these when the policies are revised,” said Archit Fursule, research associate, e-mobility, Climate Trends.

Among the key findings are, Maharashtra, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Punjab offer the widest range of parameters between 13 and 15 of the 21 parameters, making them the most holistic policies. On the other hand, nine states – Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala – offer only one or two demand-side incentives. According to the report, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh have the strongest supply-side incentives, with special support to boost EV manufacturing, apart from incentives offered in the state’s industrial policy.

Of the 28 states and eight Union Territories in the country, 26 have released EV policies over the past five years, with 16 of them being released between 2020 and 2022.

Source: PTI