Delhi sets firm deadlines to speed up cleaner transport

Delhi’s severe air pollution regularly closes schools and halts construction. Vehicles cause about a quarter of pollution across the wider capital region, with two- and three-wheelers responsible for nearly half of the city’s vehicle pollution.

A new policy aims to make most newly registered vehicles electric by 2027. It combines purchase subsidies, registration and road-tax waivers, scrappage incentives and more charging points. New three-wheelers and small trucks must be electric from 2027, followed by two-wheelers in 2028 — a targeted approach because those vehicles dominate Delhi’s roads.

There is already movement to build on. Electric vehicles made up 12.7% of Delhi’s new sales in the latest financial year, compared with 8.3% nationally, and more than 100,000 were registered locally last year. Clear deadlines can help manufacturers and drivers plan.

Yet only about 5% of Delhi’s 8.7 million registered vehicles are electric. Charging remains inadequate, existing petrol and diesel vehicles will run for years, and cleaner cars deliver their full climate benefit only with cleaner electricity. The policy is ambitious; execution will determine the air people breathe.

Original reporting: Associated Press ↗