Maharashtra government will only buy or lease electric vehicles from April 2022, says Aaditya Thackeray

The existing vehicle fleet with various state government departments cannot be replaced or scrapped immediately as it would cost the treasury a lot of money, Thackeray said.

“But according to our new policy, from April 2022, if any department of the state government wants to buy or lease a new vehicle, it will opt for electric vehicles,” Maharashtra’s tourism minister said at the meeting. ‘an interview with journalists. He had a meeting with various stakeholders here with the aim of making the city of Pune “carbon neutral” by 2030.

Thackeray also said the state government is planning a series of consultations with stakeholders on the transparent implementation of the recently announced electric vehicle policy.

The minister earlier today visited the premises of Pune-based electric vehicle maker Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Ltd to assess the potential and future growth of the electric vehicle space, according to a statement.

The government of Maharashtra announced in early July its new policy on electric vehicles with the aim of having a 10% share of electric vehicles in total registrations by 2025.

The state government, as part of the updated version of the electric vehicle policy announced in 2018, also wants to achieve a 25% share of electric vehicles in public transport in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik.

The policy includes converting 15% of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s fleet to electric vehicles by 2025, in addition to making the state the country’s leading producer of battery-powered vehicles in terms of annual production capacity. .

“Aggressive implementation of the electric vehicle policy is essential. The government of Maharashtra is planning a series of stakeholder consultations to ensure that all issues on the ground are dealt with expeditiously for a smooth implementation (of politics), ”Thackeray said, quoted in the statement.

The Minister also reiterated the commitment of the state government to implement programs for the purchase of electric vehicles by the state government for various applications such as the procurement of buses and cars as well as electric vehicles. for waste management as well as for tourism, he said.

Maharashtra is one of the country’s main automotive manufacturing centers; and in the context of the new state policy on electric vehicles, it wants to become a leading state in the manufacture and deployment of electric vehicles.

The policy contemplates conditions for the manufacture of electric vehicles and components, the creation of charging ecosystems and incentives for buyers of electric vehicles. Under the policy, state government departments will also be mandated to purchase electric vehicles for their needs, Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions said.

A pioneer in the field of electric vehicle manufacturing in the country, Kinetic Green has a strong in-house government-approved R&D center. It offers a wide range of electric vehicles, including e-three-wheelers for passengers as well as cargo applications, e-two-wheels and a range of e-smart carts, including golf cars and strollers for tourism.

Kinetic Green Founder and CEO Sulajja Firodia Motwani said, “Kinetic Green is committed to promoting electric vehicle technology as well as skills development in Maharashtra.

Motwani added that Kinetic Green is considering investing ??300 crore electric two- and three-wheeler models as well as golf cart model development and capacity expansion in Maharashtra at its electric vehicle manufacturing facilities in Ahmednagar and Pune districts over the next few years. years.

With contributions from the agency