The central government on Tuesday said there has been a huge rise in sales of electric vehicles (EV) under the PM e-Drive scheme, showing the increasing pace of adoption of electric vehicles. Through the Electric Mobility Promotion Program (EMPS) and PM e-Drive programs, sales of electric two-wheelers (E-2W) are expected to reach 5,71,411 units in 2024-25. In the same period, sales of electric three-wheelers (E-3W), which also include e-rickshaws and e-karts, amounted to 1,164 units, and sales of L5 category electric three-wheelers reached 71,501 units .
The Union Cabinet recently approved the scheme with a financial budget of Rs 10,900 crore, which came into effect from October 1 and will continue till March 31, 2026. The Ministry of Heavy Industries said in a statement that the main objective The plan is to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, develop charging infrastructure and create a robust electric vehicle manufacturing ecosystem across the country.
The plan aims to provide initial incentives to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles and promote charging infrastructure. Additionally, it will help reduce the impact of transportation on the environment and improve air quality. Furthermore, it is also an effort to promote an efficient and competitive electric vehicle manufacturing industry under the self-reliant India initiative.
According to the ministry, the scheme aims to promote 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers (E-2W), which will include only vehicles equipped with advanced batteries. Along with this, the scheme also aims to encourage 3.2 lakh electric three-wheelers (E-3W).
A budget of Rs 500 crore has been allocated to deploy electric ambulances under the scheme, and steps are also being taken to promote adoption of electric trucks, to reduce CO2 emissions.
