Delhi doubles down on fleet EVs

Delhi is moving its biggest vehicle users first, with a draft policy that would push all government fleets to electric by 2027 and force schools to start swapping buses within two years. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The draft Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2026-2030 was released on April 11 and opened for 30 days of public feedback. It says government departments under the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi must shift hired or leased transport to electric vehicles, with exemptions only in specified cases. (moneycontrol.com) Schools would have to electrify at least 10% of their bus fleets within two years, 20% in the third year, and 30% by March 31, 2030. The rule would cover owned, leased, and hired buses, with Delhi’s Education and Transport Departments overseeing compliance. (indianexpress.com) The same draft sets a charging target of more than 5,000 public charging points by 2030 and backs that with a ₹1,000 crore charging-infrastructure allocation inside a proposed ₹3,954.25 crore policy budget. It also keeps tax breaks and scrappage-linked incentives in place across several vehicle categories. (oneindia.com) Delhi is tightening rules after missing the timeline in its 2020 electric-vehicle policy, which had aimed for 25% of new registrations to be electric by 2024 and full conversion of government and delivery fleets by 2025. That earlier policy expired in August 2023 and has been running on extensions while the new draft was prepared. (hindustantimes.com) The new draft also shifts the fight to high-use vehicle segments that burn fuel all day: fleet vehicles, school buses, two-wheelers, and three-wheelers. From January 1, 2027, only electric three-wheelers could be newly registered in Delhi, and from April 1, 2028, the same rule would apply to new two-wheelers. (thehindubusinessline.com) Delhi is not dropping compressed natural gas from the plan. The draft keeps incentives for compressed natural gas autorickshaws even as it pushes electric adoption, a softer line than earlier proposals in 2025 that had pointed toward phasing out new compressed natural gas auto registrations. (cnbctv18.com) (economictimes.indiatimes.com) That mixed approach reflects the market Delhi has now, not the one it wants by 2030. Electric-vehicle registrations in the capital rose 29% in 2025-26, but petrol vehicles still held the largest share of new registrations, according to data analysis reported by multiple outlets. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) The draft is still not final, and the consultation window runs until May 10, 2026. But Delhi has now put dates, percentages, and budget lines behind a fleet-first electric push that starts with the vehicles the city controls most directly. (drivespark.com)