Delhi govt launches campaign to encourage shift to electric vehicles

The Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) on Tuesday launched their Switch Delhi campaign to encourage private vehicle owners to shift to electric vehicles.

The campaign in association with WRI India, a research organisation that works to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development, was launched by Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot.

"The Switch Delhi pledge has been launched to cement the commitment of Delhiites to be a part of the electric vehicle revolution in Delhi and make Delhi the EV capital of India. I encourage all Delhiites to take this pledge if you are going to switch to an EV and install a charging point on your premise in the next three years. I have taken this pledge today and hope everyone will do the same.

"Over 7,000 new EVs have been registered in Delhi. Total subsidy of around Rs 13.5 crore on over 210 approved models has been disbursed as of now," the minister said, while delivering the keynote address during a webinar on "Encouraging Private Vehicles to Switch to Electric Vehicles".

The webinar that saw the participation of over 100 electric vehicle enthusiasts comprised two panel discussions - one with EV adopters and experts, and another on how youth can drive the EV movement in Delhi

"The EV policies introduced by other states seem more like an industrial policy to attract investments to the state. But the Delhi government's EV policy has set an example to the country by providing huge subsidies and incentives to people switching to an EV, and by involving them in this movement," said O P Agarwal from WRI India.

Among other participating expert panelists were Abhishek Ranjan (BSES Rajdhani Power Limited) and Akshima Ghate (Rocky Mountain Institute, India).

The webinar was the first in a series of similar virtual events organised under the Switch Delhi campaign, an eight-week mass awareness initiative by the Delhi government to sensitise Delhiites about the benefits of switching to electric vehicles.

"The campaign aims at informing, encouraging, and motivating each and every person in Delhi to switch from polluting vehicles to zero-emission electric vehicles," a statement from the DDC said.