Bihar Electric Vehicle Policy gets an approval

Bihar Electric Vehicle Policy will provide various incentives to make it attractive for buyers in the state. The EV policy proposes a subsidy of up to 75 percent on motor vehicle tax for electric vehicles. It will also offer incentives of up to Rs 1.25 lakh for each of the first one thousand electric cars purchased in the state. Similar benefit will also be given for the first 10,000 electric two-wheelers. Incentives include a rebate of Rs 10,000 on the purchase of electric two-wheelers as well as up to 75 percent rebate in motor vehicle tax.

The proposal is similar to some other states with dedicated electric vehicle policies which include Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra among others. According to the state government, the objective of Bihar Electric Vehicle Policy is to promote sustainable mobility. Additional Chief Secretary (Cabinet Secretariat) S Siddhartha said, "The main objective of the scheme is to encourage people to rapidly adopt electric and hybrid vehicles by providing incentives on the purchase of electric vehicles and setting up the necessary charging infrastructure." This scheme will help address the issue of environmental pollution and fuel security."

The Bihar EV policy also aims to attract investments in the state to set up its own electric vehicle ecosystem along with supporting industries. It has also proposed renewable energy for electric vehicle charging stations. In which the approved tariff rates for high tension EV charging stations have been fixed at Rs 8/KvA for the current financial year. Highlights of the Bihar EV policy also include a proposal to incentivize those scrapping old electric vehicles and EV components.

Apart from approving the new state EV policy, the government has also approved the procurement of 400 electric buses under the PM-e Bus Service Scheme. These buses will run in six districts of the state, Patna, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and Purnia.