New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), launching the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement, (PM E-DRIVE) scheme for the promotion of electric mobility in the country. With a total outlay of Rs 10,900 crore for two years, the scheme will provide incentives for the deployment of e-2Ws (moped and motorcycle), e-3Ws (electric cargo, three-wheeler, electric passenger rickshaw), e-ambulances, e-trucks, e- buses, and other emerging electric vehicles (EVs).
The major components of the scheme are:
- Rs 3,679 is being disbursed for the deployment of e-2Ws and e-3Ws.
- Rs. 500 crore is being allocated for the deployment of e-ambulances to promote their use for comfortable patient transport. The performance and safety standards will be formulated in consultation with relevant stakeholders such as MoHFW, MoRTH, etc.
- Rs. 4,391 crores have been provided for the procurement of 14,028 e-buses by State Transport Undertakings (STUs) or public transport agencies which will be deployed in cities with more than 40 lakh population such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad.
- Rs.500 crores have been allocated for deploying e-trucks to combat air pollution caused by heavy vehicles.
- e-Vouchers have been introduced for customers to avail demand incentives under the scheme. Under this, when a customer buys an EV, an Aadhaar-authenticated e-voucher will be generated on the PM E-DRIVE portal that can be used by the buyer to claim reimbursement incentives.
- The scheme also proposes the installation of 22,100 fast chargers for e-4Ws (electric four-wheelers), 1800 fast chargers for e-buses, and 48,400 fast chargers for e-2W/3Ws at a total expense of Rs.2,000 crore.
In the view of growing EV ecosystem in the country, the scheme promotes mass e-mobility by supporting means of public transportation. The initiative is expected to expedite the adoption of EVs by providing upfront incentives for their purchase and facilitating the establishment of essential charging infrastructure.
