Uttar Pradesh: Leading the EV transition in India
Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) leads the count of the maximum number of electric vehicles (EVs) in the country (4,14,978), followed by Delhi (1,83,074) and Maharashtra (1,79,087). The state of U.P. tops the list for EV sales due to the widespread use of electric rickshaws (three-wheelers) in several of its cities. E-rickshaws, both for passenger and cargo, accounted for an 85% share of overall EV sales in the state during 2022.
The state has also been one of the largest beneficiaries under FAME I & II schemes of Government of India.
With regards to creation of charging infrastructure, U.P. has been sanctioned 207 charging stations under FAME II which are being installed in 9-cities of the state, viz. Noida, Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Kanpur, Aligarh, Saharanpur, Bareilly & Jhansi through REIL & EESL. More charging stations are expected along the Expressways in the state.
Source: Vahan Dashboard
The state of Uttar Pradesh. launched a new Electric Vehicle Manufacturing & Mobility Policy in 2022, which was initially launched in 2019.
In order to achieve the objectives of the revised policy, such as to make U.P. a global hub for electric mobility development and manufacturing, the State Government of U.P. shall focus on 3-pillars for promoting EV industry in the State, viz.
- Creation of charging infrastructure
- Faster EV adoption
- Manufacturing
Incentives offered under the U.P. EV Policy
The road ahead
The state government is coordinating with NITI Aayog and Asian Development Bank to finalize a comprehensive electric mobility plan for Lucknow and it is expected to go green before other cities in the state.
According to the roadmap prepared by the urban development department of the state, by 2025, some routes across the 17 cities with Municipal Corporations will have to be turned into green routes where only electric public transport vehicles will be deployed. And by 2030 the entire fleet of vehicles engaged for public transportation will have to be battery operated.
Beyond these state initiatives, as more and more options for electric two-wheelers and electric cars are introduced in the market and battery pack prices decline further, the prices for EVs will lower, which is when EV adoption for personal usage is expected to increase at a faster pace.