Maharashtra EV roadmap

Following in the footsteps of other states, Maharashtra has announced its new EV policy. Setting an ambitious target of 10 per cent for all Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) registrations by 2025, the policy was approved by the Maharashtra cabinet on July 04, 2021. A further bifurcation means that the BEV universe in 2025 will comprise 10 per cent of two-wheelers, 20 per cent three-wheelers and five per cent four-wheelers with at least 25 per cent of the urban fleet operated by fleet operators or aggregators in e-commerce. The government is aiming for 25 per cent electrification in public transport and is looking to convert 15 per cent of the existing Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) fleet to EVs by 2025. State Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray mentioned, “Maharashtra is one of the leading states in the country, in vehicle manufacture, and we intend to continue on this path. With the incentives that we are offering to manufacturers along with the existing infrastructure in the state, and considering the urban population which might be interested in electric vehicles, we expect manufacturers to prioritise Maharashtra.” The policy grants benefits under the ‘D+’ category to mega projects for all industries irrespective of the location of the manufacturing unit in the state. As per the policy, incentives will apply from the date of notification of the policy and will be disbursed through the labour, industry and energy departments. Aimed at addressing both the supply-side and the demand-side, customers can look forward to availing the exemption from road tax along with registration charges for their EVs. Other initiatives include forming an EV fund and appointing a secretariat to monitor policy implementation on a daily basis. It will also look to set up a giga factory for manufacturing advanced chemistry cell batteries besides promoting R&D, innovation and skill development.