Portal planned to bring owners, firms retrofitting old vehicles with electric kits on one platform – EQ Mag Pro

New Delhi : People willing to get their old diesel or petrol vehicles converted to electric ones may soon be able to do so with just a click of a mouse.

The Delhi government’s Transport Department plans to launch a portal that will bring vehicle owners and companies, that are involved in retrofitting old vehicles with electric kits, on a single platform, said an official.

The portal will also aim to serve as a one-stop solution for vehicle owners as there are plans to also provide them information about getting new e-vehicles registered with RTO through the portal, the official said.

The portal is likely to see the light of the day in the second half of this month and the National Informatics Centre being entrusted to develop the portal, the official added.

The Delhi government had given a nod to conversion of 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles into electric vehicles last year in November. The International Centre for Automotive Technologies (ICAT) and Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) have so far approved 11 retrofitting kit manufacturers.

According to official data, nearly a lakh diesel vehicles were de-registered in January this year, and the transport department had given three options — to get the vehicle scrapped from empanelled dealers, or to get it converted to electric with government-approved retrofitting kits, or to obtain a no-objection certificate and sell such vehicles outside the national capital.

There were around 1.43 lakh registered e-vehicles in Delhi till May.

A cost of Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh will be incurred on conversion of old vehicles into electric cars.

Source: PTI