All new tourist vehicles in Goa to be EVs from January 2024: CM Sawant

All new tourist vehicles, as well as cabs and motorbikes provided on rent in Goa will have to be electric vehicles from January 2024, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said on Wednesday.

The Goa government proposes major reforms to promote EVs in the coastal state, Sawant said addressing a side-event organised by the NITI Aayog during the ongoing fourth Energy Transitions Working Group meeting under India's G20 Presidency in Panaji.

India's G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant was also present at the side event.

Goa ranks fourth in India in terms of percentage of electric vehicles (EVs) purchased in any state, Sawant said.

He said all new tourist vehicles, cabs and motorbikes provided on rent will mandatorily have to be electric vehicles from January next year.

He also said new vehicles purchased by the government from January 2024 will mandatorily be EVs.

It will also be mandatory for permit holders having multiple tourist taxis, rent-a-bike and rent-a-cab (service) operators to retrofit 30 per cent of the fleet to electric vehicles by June 2024, Sawant said.

He said the per capita vehicle ownership in Goa is 4.5 times the national average.

Goa is ranked 15th in the world in terms of vehicle density. Being a global tourism hotspot, more than 85 lakh tourists visit Goa every year against the state's population of 15 lakh, he said.

This forms a major contributor for the increased carbon emission in the state due to a large number of taxis, rent-a-vehicle (services) and buses used to ferry tourists, Sawant said.

As per a recent study, 40 per cent of the total carbon emission generated in Goa is due to the operation of vehicles, he said.

The Goa government has provided financial assistance for 1,679 electric vehicles amounting to Rs 122 million (Rs 12.2 crore) under a scheme, Sawant said.

Subsequent to the introduction of the scheme, the percentage sale of vehicles increased exponentially from 0.2 per cent to 9.4 per cent in 2022-23, he said.