High-end petrol, diesel cars could be gradually removed from market: SC

The Supreme Court signalled that premium fossil-fuel cars may be the first to face restrictions as India accelerates its electric mobility transition, urging updated policies & stronger implementation

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The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday called for a stronger push towards electric mobility, observing that high-end petrol and diesel cars could be gradually phased out. A Bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi made the remarks while hearing a plea seeking proper implementation of the Centre’s electric vehicle (EV) policies.

 

The judges noted that with larger EV models now widely available, premium internal combustion engine cars could be the first category to face restrictions. Justice Kant said such a move would affect only a small, affluent section of buyers and would not burden ordinary motorists.

 

“Just think of imposing a ban on the very high-end vehicles first of all. So it will not affect the common man, because a very small part of the Indian population can afford that,” Justice Kant remarked during the hearing.

 

Attorney General R Venkataramani responded that the government broadly supports this approach. He told the court that 13 ministries are working on various aspects of EV adoption and related policy measures.

 

The petition has been filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, Common Cause, and the Sitaram Jindal Foundation. The petitioners argued that citizens’ fundamental rights to health and a clean environment under Articles 14 and 21 are being violated because the government has failed to adequately address climate change and air pollution, partly driven by emissions from fossil fuel-based vehicles. 

 

They sought directions to the Centre to implement the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP), introduced in 2012 by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, along with the recommendations of Zero Emission Vehicles: Towards a Policy Framework, issued by NITI Aayog in September 2018.

 

Bhushan noted that while EV prices have fallen, the slow pace of installing charging stations continues to impede wider adoption.

 

The Bench remarked that infrastructure growth typically follows demand and said charging networks are likely to expand once more EVs are on the roads. It also suggested that existing fuel stations could be equipped with charging facilities. The Attorney General acknowledged that implementation challenges remain and require closer attention.

 

The court further observed that the government’s EV policies may need an update, given that several years have passed since they were introduced. It said the government should revisit NEMMP 2020 to accelerate EV adoption and consider launching a pilot project in major metropolitan cities.

 

The Attorney General said he would submit a consolidated report on all notifications issued so far. The case will be heard again in a month.