Nasscom, in its submission on plans for Delhi’s mobility aggregators and delivery service providers, raised concerns over “unrealistic electrification targets” for EVs in the capital, citing supply constraints, inadequate charging infrastructure and challenges faced by taxi drivers.
Nasscom highlighted that currently only 0.16% of the total vehicles in use in Delhi are electric vehicles as it pointed out that there is a huge gap between the electrification targets and the current reality.
“In its observations, Nasscom expressed concerns over unrealistic electrification targets for EVs in the national capital, citing supply constraints, inadequate charging infrastructure, high cost of entry and challenges faced by taxi drivers,” the industry body said.
The report said that the current share of electric vehicles in Delhi for two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers is only 0.74%, 30.3% and 0.16% respectively.
Nasscom believes that Delhi’s electrification targets will have a negative impact on the movement of people in the national capital region.
“Even electric vehicles that are available for commercial use do not offer a range suitable for ride-sharing, as a range of more than 100 kilometers is required to be economically viable,” the report states.
In addition, charging infrastructure is insufficient, with many charging stations set up by NCT not functioning properly and being overcrowded during peak hours.
Additionally, charging stations are not available in all areas, requiring drivers to travel long distances to charge their vehicles.
The cost of purchasing an electric vehicle is also quite high compared to its internal combustion engine (ICE) counterpart, as industry data shows that for both trucks and passenger vehicles, two-wheeled EV models are approximately 25% more expensive than ICE vehicles, three-wheeled EV models are approximately 40% more expensive, and four-wheeled EV models are approximately 60% more expensive.
Nasscom’s note also mentioned the case of Delhi bike taxis, which are now banned by the state government.
As per the proposed guidelines for aggregators, aggregators are required to transition from ICE motorcycles to two-wheeler electric vehicles using 100% electric vehicles immediately from the date of notification.
Nasscom stressed the need to revisit these targets given that currently only 0.74 per cent of all two-wheelers in Delhi are electric.
Additionally, the majority of available two-wheeled electric vehicles are scooters rather than motorcycles, the company said, which is the preferred format for bike taxi operators.
The note suggests that onboarding targets for EVs must be revised and reflect the EV ecosystem in NCT. It has been suggested that electrification should be carried out in stages.
It further emphasized the need to set up a working group of aggregators and delivery service providers to work with the Delhi government for electrification.
The note raised concerns about financial barriers, noting that the per-vehicle license fee under the proposed scheme would be very high. The document highlights the need for a realistic approach and collaboration with stakeholders to address the practical realities and challenges hindering the adoption of electric vehicles and provide flexibility to gig workers in Delhi through this policy.
