Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray said on Wednesday that all government departments in the state will opt for electric vehicles (EVs) only for purchase of new vehicles from April next year.
Thackeray said the existing fleet of vehicles of various state government departments cannot be replaced or scrapped immediately as it would cost the exchequer a lot of money.
Talking to reporters, Maharashtra’s tourism minister said, “But as per our new policy, from April 2022, if any state government department wants to buy or hire a new vehicle, it will opt for electric vehicles.” He held a meeting with various stakeholders here with an aim to make Pune city “Carbon Neutral” by 2030.
Thackeray also said that the state government is planning a series of consultations with stakeholders on seamless implementation of the recently announced electric vehicle policy.
According to a statement, the minister earlier in the day visited the premises of Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions Ltd, a Pune-based electric vehicle maker, and assessed the potential of the electric vehicle sector.
The Maharashtra government had in early July announced its new EV policy with an aim to have electric vehicles account for 10 per cent of the total registrations by 2025.
The state government, under the updated version of the EV policy announced in 2018, seeks to acquire 25 per cent EV share in public transport in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik.
The policy includes converting 15 per cent of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s fleet to EVs by 2025, besides making the state the top producer of battery-powered vehicles in the country in terms of annual production capacity.
The statement quoted Thackeray as saying, “Aggressive implementation of the EV policy is critical. The Maharashtra government is planning a series of stakeholder consultations to ensure that there is no ground clearance for smooth implementation (of the policy).” The issue should be addressed expeditiously.”
The minister also reiterated the commitment of the state government to implement EV procurement schemes for various applications such as bus and car procurement and waste management as well as electric vehicles for tourism.
Maharashtra is a major automobile manufacturing hub in the country; And in the backdrop of the new EV policy for the state, it is keen to become a leading state for electric vehicle manufacturing and deployment.
The policy envisages manufacturing of electric vehicles and components, creating a charging ecosystem and promoting electric vehicle buyers. Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions said that under the policy, state government departments will also be mandated to buy electric vehicles for their requirements.
A leader in EV manufacturing in the country, Kinetic Green has a strong in-house R&D center approved by the government. It offers a wide range of EVs, which include a range of e-smart carts including buggies for passenger as well as cargo applications, e-two-wheelers and golf cars, and tourism.
Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Founder and CEO, Kinetic Green, said, “Kinetic Green is committed to promoting electric vehicle technology as well as skill development in Maharashtra.
Motwani said Kinetic Green plans to invest ₹300 crore in the next few years in its EV manufacturing facilities in Ahmednagar and Pune districts, in electric two- and three-wheelers as well as in golf car model development and capacity expansion in Maharashtra.
with agency input
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