Telangana Govt to Boost EV Procurement, Expand Charging

• Telangana plans to buy EVs for 25–50% of government vehicles and expand charging infrastructure statewide
• The state offers 100% road tax and registration fee exemptions, with around one lakh EVs sold in the past year
• Initiatives include electric buses under PM E-DRIVE, vehicle scrappage incentives, and subsidies for employees and industries

Telangana has announced the launch of new initiatives to drastically increase electric vehicle (EV) usage in the state. Such initiatives include buying EVs for 25-50% of state cars' purchases and building charging stations all over the state, as per the statement made by Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar recently.

During the Legislative Assembly's Question Hour, he reiterated the commitment of the government to overcome pollution, thereby, making Telangana a shining example for the country's EV adoption. “The government is committed to checking pollution and promoting EVs as a progressive measure. We are also creating awareness among people to make Telangana a role model in EV policy”, he added.

The state has at the outset offered a total waiver of road tax and registration fees on electric vehicles which has been an eye-opener for other states as well.

It is estimated that about 1,00,000 EVs were sold in Telangana in the last year alone. Even though the government faces revenue loss of ₹900 crore, it is still supporting its EV policy and has gone a step further by asking the companies to give a 20% subsidy to government employees buying EVs.

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Telangana is looking at schools and industries like IT and pharmaceuticals as potential targets for its initiatives that will promote the use of electric vehicles (EV). The PM E-DRIVE scheme already has 575 e-buses in use and another 2,800 to be introduced subsequently. The government has also enacted a scrappage policy for vehicles wherein the owners are given incentives to junk their old vehicles.

Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (REDCO) is extending charging facility across the state, including gated societies, sightseeing places, eateries, and district collectorates.

Minister Prabhakar also called upon the lawmakers to set the trend for adoption of EVs in their respective constituencies, thereby showcasing the importance of government and public representatives in ushering in a cleaner and sustainable mobility system throughout the state.

The combination of all these initiatives demonstrates the strategic thinking of Telangana in encouraging the use of EV, cutting down on pollution, and making the state one of the leaders in India's shift to eco-friendly transportation.