Eliminate polluting two-wheeled vehicles

These new changes are part of the Delhi government's aggressive Electric Vehicle Policy 2.0.

“Our new policy outlines a clear roadmap towards electrification, with specific targets for each vehicle segment. In certain vehicle categories, we aim for 100% of new vehicles registered in Delhi to be electric.

We have also developed a detailed strategy to achieve these goals,” an official was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times .

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Motorcycles on the streets of India - Photo: jdmagicbox

Under the new policy, from August 2026, the city will stop registering new two-wheeled vehicles running on gasoline, diesel or compressed natural gas (CNG). For three-wheeled vehicles, CNG-powered cyclos that are over 10 years old must be replaced or converted to electric vehicles during the policy implementation period.

Experts consider this an important step forward, with the potential to strongly promote the green transition process in the city.

A drastic policy is needed, the Hindustan Times stressed, as internal combustion engine vehicles are one of the major sources of pollution in Delhi.

“According to the draft policy, from August 2026, the city will stop registering new CNG-powered motorbike rickshaws and three-wheeled cargo vehicles, and will not renew existing CNG vehicle licenses. All these licenses will be replaced or reissued as electric vehicle licenses,” an official was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

There will be similar plans for cars using internal combustion engines.

The new policy also proposes to require all garbage collection vehicles of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Water Board (DJB) and other civic bodies to completely convert to electric vehicles in a phased manner, reaching 100% by 2027.

To support this transition, it is expected that more than 13,200 charging stations will be installed across the city, ensuring a density of 5 km/station.

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The previous policy set a target of 48,000 charging points by 2026, but actual progress has only been around 10% (a charging station can have multiple charging ports).

Officials said the new policy aims to have 95% of new vehicles registered in Delhi be electric by 2027 and 98% by 2030, compared to the earlier target of 25% electric vehicles in new vehicle registrations by 2024, which has been achieved at 13-14%.

The four main goals of the new policy include: reducing air pollution and improving public health, creating job opportunities in the electric vehicle ecosystem, enhancing energy security and grid resilience, and ensuring the transition to electric vehicles is equitable and sustainable.

Transport officials said the government is aggressively expanding its electric bus fleet in Delhi, with plans to add more buses to bring the total to around 3,000 by the end of this year. In addition, the government has issued a rule mandating that electric vehicles be purchased only for public purposes.

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Cars on Indian streets - Photo: The Indian Express

Delhi's new EV policy can be considered the most progressive state-level transition plan to date, according to Amit Bhatt, CEO (India) of the International Council on Clean Transport (ICCT).

“The ban on registration of internal combustion engine two-wheelers after August 15, 2026 will set a strong precedent across the country. However, a similar phase-out plan is needed for internal combustion engine cars,” Amit Bhatt stressed.

Earlier, the Delhi government had announced that it would ban refueling of petrol cars older than 15 years to reduce pollution, from March 31, as part of a comprehensive effort to tackle severe smog and air pollution in Delhi.

Delhi has banned petrol vehicles older than 15 years and diesel vehicles older than 10 years. Additionally, all vehicles must have a valid Pollution Control Certificate (PUC) to refuel.

Many gas stations have installed AI-powered camera systems to check for PUC compliance. These systems will be leveraged to verify vehicle age.

China continues to dominate its domestic electric vehicle market Global electric vehicle (EV) sales surged in February, with the Chinese market recording a 76% growth despite Europe and the US erecting import barriers to curb the dominance of Chinese EV brands.