The government think tank NITI Aayog has set a new target relating to electric vehicles. As per the latest cabinet note, NITI Aayog has proposed that only electric vehicles should be sold after 2030.
NITI Aayog believes that this will expand the scope of EVs beyond two-wheelers and three-wheelers and it is being done to increase the usage of clean-fuel technology.
According to reports the transport ministry was planning to release a draft which ensured that the government only allowed the sale of electric three-wheelers from April 2023 onwards and only electric two-wheelers from April 2025 onwards.
This time Niti Aayog’s proposal aims to go beyond just setting target and looking at assigning responsibilities to different ministries. For instance, road transport and highways ministry will be tasked with coming up with a framework to phase out the sale of diesel and petrol vehicles by 2030.
The think tank in the proposal mentioned about e-highways which will have an overhead electricity network to allow certain trucks and buses to use the national highways.
The overhead electricity networks will allow electric trucks or buses ply on these highways using pantographs and once they are off the e-highways, they can function as hybrid vehicles.
The proposal also insists on radio cab services, such as Ola and Uber, to go completely electric by 2030.
The Transport minister Nitin Gadkari has said that this roadmap will be finalised only after consulting with the auto industry.