Delhi EV Policy 2.0: Relief For Petrolheads For Now

Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy 2.0 has been pushed ahead by 3 months as the Cabinet has decided to continue with the existing policy for now. The new policy was going to be implemented from April 15, 2025, but has been postponed as they intend to further tweak the upcoming policy. This is because a large part of the population of the national capital region’s travel and livelihood is dependent on the upcoming policy. The upcoming EV Policy 2.0 has proposed a lot of bold, sweeping changes, and here are the highlights:

No More Petrol Or CNG Two-Wheelers

The upcoming EV Policy 2.0 proposes an end to registrations of non-electric bikes and scooters in the union territory from August 15, 2026. This includes not only all petrol-powered two-wheelers but also CNG-powered ones - which, in our case, is just the Bajaj Freedom 125. 

The Delhi government's proposed Electric Vehicle Policy 2025 aims to promote electric mobility among women by offering a targeted subsidy of Rs 12,000 per kWh of battery capacity, which can go up to Rs 36,000, for the first 10,000 women (with valid driving licenses) purchasing electric two-wheelers. Additionally, a general subsidy of Rs 10,000 per kWh, capped at Rs 30,000, will be available for all Delhi residents buying electric two-wheelers in the city. The proposal also reportedly mentions subsidies for those who scrap their older petrol-powered two-wheeler.

What We Think

While the policy aims to cushion the impact of the changes by offering subsidies, the proposal to completely ban petrol and CNG-powered two-wheelers may not be a perfectly good idea. We opine on how the transition should ideally be. 

If the proposal comes into effect, then the common man will have no other choice but to purchase an EV for their grocery runs. This will also put massive pressure on the electrical grid of the city, so it will be prudent if Delhi makes massive upgrades to its power grid (which means feeding more coal to the powerplants) as well. Additionally, this will also put extra strain on public transportation, especially the metro rail as it is very well connected to different places within the city. What we believe might happen is that folks will go for inexpensive, license-free, possibly dangerous Chinese-made low-speed EVs to make their commutes to the metro stations a bit easier. 

As for the enthusiasts, well, you may have to turn towards Gurugram or Noida to purchase your motorcycles.