Assam To Phase Out Fossil Fuel-Based Vehicles By 2030

According to the policy, it will convert all vehicles of government, public buses and the government would deploy 2 EVs within next five years.

The Industries, Commerce and Public Enterprises Department said the Electric Vehicle Policy, 2021, offers a set of incentives for people to switch to EVs.

The government has also given 100% relaxation on registration charges and road tax and on parking charges. Buyers of two-wheeler, three-wheeler and four-wheeler EVs will be entitled to a subsidy of ₹20,000, ₹50,000 and ₹1.5 lakh respectively while entrepreneurs setting up EV charging stations have been assured 90% exemption of electricity duty.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the government is planning to deploy 200 electric vehicles and 100 CNG buses in Guwahati by April 1, 2022.

The policy, officials said, envisages that 25% of the newly-registered vehicles will be EVs by 2026.

Meanwhile, Jio-bp, the fuels, and mobility joint venture between Reliance Industries Limited and bp announced a partnership with BluSmart, India's first and largest all-electric ride-hailing platform to set up a network of commercial large scale EV charging stations. As part of the partnership, Jio-bp will set up these stations for passenger electric vehicles and fleets across the country. BluSmart, through its all-electric fleet, has been disrupting the mobility landscape by providing reliable, zero-surge, and zero-tailpipe emission ride-hailing service in Delhi NCR. Running the largest fleet of EVs, BluSmart aims to expand its network into other major cities across India.

Through this partnership, both companies will collaborate in planning, development and operation of EV charging infrastructure, at suitable locations across cities where BluSmart operates. With the first phase-roll out in the National Capital Region, these EV charging stations will be capable of accommodating a minimum of 30 vehicles at each station and will be concentrated in urban areas. Speaking on the collaboration, Harish C. Mehta, Chief Executive Officer, Jio-bp said, "Jio-bp will be at the forefront of EV infrastructure development in the country. Leveraging bp's learnings from the UK with bp Pulse, where they have the country's largest EV charging network, from Germany through their Aral brand, Jio bp intends to bring in the latest in EV technology to our consumers.