Bihar Government Accelerates Green Drive With Approval Of New Electric Vehicle Policy

In alignment with the ongoing efforts to promote the EV ecosystem in the country, the Bihar government has also undertaken measures to encourage sustainable mobility with its approval of the Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy 2023 on Tuesday (5 December).

This policy is geared towards establishing a favourable environment for electric vehicles, by prioritising the development of a robust network of charging stations statewide.

According to a senior government official, the state's EV Policy-2023 sets a target of achieving 15 per cent EVs in all vehicle registrations by 2028.

S Siddharth, the additional chief secretary (cabinet secretariat), stated, "The main objective of the scheme is to encourage faster adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles by the people by offering incentives on purchase of electric vehicles and also by establishing a necessary charging infrastructure. The scheme will help in addressing the issue of environmental pollution and fuel security."

To encourage the uptake of electric vehicles, the policy introduces several measures such as subsidies on Motor Vehicle (MV) Tax, reaching up to 75 per cent, and purchase incentives of up to Rs 1.25 lakh for the initial 1,000 personal four-wheeler EVs, as per an Economic Times report.

Additionally, similar benefits are extended to the first 10,000 personal two-wheeler EVs, including subsidies on motor vehicle tax and purchase incentives of up to INR 10,000.

The policy seeks to enhance environmental quality by mitigating air pollution while fostering startups and investments in the electric mobility sector and its associated support industries

Additionally, the state cabinet has also cleared the proposal from the transport department to procure 400 electric buses through the PM-eBus Sewa scheme.

These buses, slated to operate in various districts of Bihar, aim to reduce reliance on conventional petrol and diesel-powered public transport vehicles.