By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
The Kerala government is in the process of drafting the Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0, in response to the technological advancements, market shifts, and evolving business models in the e-mobility ecosystem.
Kerala had first rolled out an electric vehicle policy in 2019. Now, the draft EV Policy 2.0 is in the works.
Puneet Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary (Power), told The Hindu that the new policy would see a revision of the older policy. It would draw from the lessons learned so far from Kerala’s e-mobility experience and how the policy could be taken to “the next level.”
A number of studies have been conducted and the useful recommendations are being incorporated into the new policy, Mr. Kumar said, adding that the policy would take some more time to get finalised.
It is expected that the revised version will be valid for a period of five years.
Meanwhile, the ‘Shoonya EV Conclave 2025’ jointly organised by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), the NITI Aayog and think-tank Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) here on Thursday proposed that the EV Policy 2.0 could include financial incentives such as road tax waivers for EVs in addition to measures for slashing tailpipe carbon emissions by 15%.
It noted that Kerala can, potentially, save around 15.94 million tonnes of tailpipe carbon emissions by 2030 by structured emission saving actions. It also suggested that the EV Policy 2.0 could have a fiscal allocation of about ₹500 crore for the five-year period to cover “policy levers” such as fiscal incentives, vehicle retrofitting initiatives, toll exemptions, highway corridor electrification and awareness initiatives.
It proposed a set of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives, and requirements related to charging infrastructure, financing, governance and public awareness. Road tax and registration fee waiver for personal use EVs for the next five years and incentives for retrofitting were proposed for possible inclusion in the upcoming policy.
Other incentives proposed included 100% parking fee exemptions for the first two years, reserved parking for EVs in government-owned parking, and a 50% waiver on highway tolls for the first two years.
Other suggestions included designating the KSEB as the State Nodal Agency for developing a “robust and accessible” EV charging infrastructure in Kerala, amending building bylaws to incorporate EV-ready parking spaces and a single-window clearance system for approving charging stations.
On the governance side, Thursday’s presentation also suggested that a steering committee be established for monitoring and guiding the implementation of the EV policy.
