Delhi’s Bold EV Policy 2.0 Could Change How You Buy Cars And Bikes

Delhi isn’t waiting around for petrol fans to come around to EVs on their own. The capital’s freshly released EV Policy 2.0 draft — released on April 11, 2026 — sets out a clear, time-bound roadmap toward electrification. 

It looks like a combination of stringent and considerate policy changes with some boundations and financial incentives to balance them. It’s currently open for public feedback, which means it isn’t legally binding yet.

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What Might Change For Four-Wheeler EV Buyers?

The new draft proposes two headline moves. First, the long-standing road tax and registration fee exemption for EVs gets narrowed: only electric cars priced up to Rs. 30 lakh (ex-showroom) will qualify, with the benefit running until only March 31, 2030. 

Buyers of luxury electric vehicles, such as the Tesla Model Y or the BMW i7, won’t get any relaxations, implying that their effective on-road prices will rise. Furthermore, strong hybrids under Rs. 30 lakhs would get a partial (50%) waiver on both the charges during the same 2030 window (this didn’t exist before). 

The new policy also introduces a “scrappage-first” model. There’s a new Rs. 1 lakh scrappage incentive in place for Delhi residents who scrap a BS-IV or older registered vehicle and purchase a new EV, priced under Rs. 30 lakhs, within six months of getting the certificate of deposit from a government-authorized facility. 

However, this particular benefit is limited to the first 1,00,000 applicants, which, for a city like Delhi, could potentially run out within a year. 

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What Changes For Two-Wheeler EV Buyers?

From April 1, 2028, the Delhi government could only approve electric two-wheeler registrations, implying that petrol scooters and motorcycles won’t get approved post the deadline. 

Since this could come as a blow to prospective buyers, electric two-wheelers priced up to Rs. 2.25 lakhs could attract an incentive of Rs. 10,000 per kWh, but there’s more to it. 

The incentive is capped at Rs. 30,000 in the first year (April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027), reduced to Rs. 6,600 per kWh capped at Rs. 20,000 from the second year (April 1, 2027 to March 31, 2028), and Rs. 3,300 per kWh capped at Rs. 10,000 in the third year (April 1, 2028 to March 31, 2029). 

The goal, as it seems, is to push buyers to switch earlier, especially before the proposed April 1, 2028, ban on new petrol two-wheelers. 

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Is The EV Policy 2.0 In Force Yet?

No, the EV Policy 2.0 is currently in the “public consultation” phase. The EV cell of the Delhi Transport Department has devised the proposed changes to curb vehicular pollutants in the city. For now, the public has 30 days, starting from April 11, 2026, to submit their objections or suggestions. 

To submit your opinions about the same, you can send an email to evpolicy2026@gmail.com, or write to the Joint Commissioner (EV), Transport Department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi, 5/9 Underhill Road, Delhi-110054. The process could have been a bit easier, but those are the two devised methods for now. 

Clearly, the new EV Policy 2.0 is using the road tax structure (hurting where it hurts) to disincentivize luxury EV buyers and petrol two-wheeler buyers, while aggressively accelerating mass-market adoption of entry-level EVs, strong hybrid vehicles, and electric two-wheelers. The two-wheeler industry, however, could be hit the most, and manufacturers might want to realign their product roadmaps accordingly. 

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