Manufacturers welcome govt’s move to allow sale, registration of EVs without pre-fitted batteries
A notice issued by The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Wednesday said that vehicles without batteries can be sold and registered based on the type approval certificate issued by the Test Agency
NEW DELHI: Electric Vehicle manufacturers have welcomed the government’s move to allow sales and registration of electric vehicles without pre-fitted batteries.
A notice issued by The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) on Wednesday said that vehicles without batteries can be sold and registered based on the type approval certificate issued by the Test Agency.
Further, there is no need to specify the Make/Type or any other details of the Battery for the purpose of registration. However, the prototype of the electric vehicle and the battery (regular battery or the swappable battery) is required to be type approved by the test Agencies specified under Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.
Naveen Munjal, MD Hero Electric, said, ““The policy is a welcome move. I am excited about the possibilities that exist in making EVs accessible to every individual in the country. All we need is a combination of such pioneering policies for it to work for us as per plan in the long-run will work in the long term. For this to take off and be able to efficiently pass on the benefit to the consumer, we ought to work towards a strong infrastructure that allows EV owners to charge and swapping batteries wherever they require. I look forward to more such positive interventions.”
Okinawa echoed the support for the new move by the government. It said that such policies create better EV ecosystem and can reduce costs of ownership of EVs
Jeetender Sharma, MD and Founder, Okinawa, “It is a motivation to see the government working towards accelerating adoption of electric mobility. The policy now allows selling electric vehicles without batteries. This widens the scope for manufacturers and buyers both. We are swiftly adopting the much-needed flexibility and comfort in the EV ecosystem. Tax rebates will help drive the demand better. This is also expected to reduce the overall cost of acquisition of the product by saving an amount in the vehicle registration procedure, thus offering affordability. We look forward to more such industry boosting policies.”
Ather Energy said that the increase in the prices of BS6 petrol scooters will contribute in the rise of demand for electric scooters and such policies are a big boost to the industry.
Tarun Mehta, CEO, and Co-Founder, Ather Energy, said, “MoRTH’s new policy is a great move for both customers and OEMs. It lowers the upfront cost that the consumer has to pay and allows OEMs to build superior products at an affordable price point. Ather has been proactively experimenting with different sales and ownership models and the new policy opens up new opportunities in financing options. Based on our learning, it will likely take some time for consumers to understand and adopt this model of ownership, but in the long run, it will be a big boost to the Indian EV industry. It will also make it easier for new players to join the industry. With BS-6 increasing petrol scooter prices, we expect consumers to shift to electric scooters, which offer great performance, in the months to come.”
Source: TOI
