Delhi on track to become EV capital with 8,000 e-buses by 2026: Minister

At present, the city has 3,400 electric buses, up from 400 when Singh took charge. The fleet is expected to grow to 6,000 by the end of this year, Transport Minister said

Delhi is set to cement its place as the country's Electric Vehicle (EV) capital with 7,000 to 8,000 new electric buses on its roads by February 2026, Transport Minister Pankaj Singh said on Monday.

At present, the city has 3,400 electric buses, up from 400 when Singh took charge. The fleet is expected to grow to 6,000 by the end of this year, he said.

"Based on route rationalisation, Delhi requires 7,000 to 8,000 buses. We believe we will reach that target by February," the minister said while addressing the India Clean Transportation Summit 2025 at the India International Centre here.

The expansion also includes the city's Devi buses, aimed at strengthening last-mile connectivity. Singh added that Delhi's new EV Policy 2.0, likely to be unveiled by February, will focus heavily on charging infrastructure.

"We are creating infrastructure in housing societies, under flyovers and on vacant land in outer Delhi. Resident Welfare Associations will be involved, and Public-Private Partnership models will be explored. The policy will be robust, covering scrapping of older vehicles, road tax and incentives," he said, calling it a policy "the public will love".

Singh said Delhi will also learn from Norwegian capital's experience in expanding its charging network under the proposed 'Delhi-Oslo Smart Transport Initiative'. "Our friendship with Oslo will help us access the best technologies and move in the right direction," the minister said.

Audun Garberg, vice-director and head of the climate department in Oslo, said the Norwegian capital too faced hurdles in the early years of electrification.

"In 2006-07, we didn't have enough public charging points. That made adoption difficult. Now, infrastructure is widely available, and our next challenge is e-trucks and housing cooperatives," he said.