India’s New Plan to Boost Electric Vehicles: PM E-DRIVE Scheme
The Union Cabinet of India has approved a new scheme called the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme. This scheme has a budget of Rs 10,900 crore and will be implemented over two years.
Subsidies for Electric Vehicles
The scheme will provide subsidies worth Rs 3,679 crore to encourage the purchase of various electric vehicles, including e-2Ws (electric two-wheelers), e-3Ws (electric three-wheelers), e-ambulances, and e-trucks. The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) will introduce e-vouchers for buyers to avail of these incentives.
Support for Public Transport
The scheme will support the procurement of 14,028 e-buses for public transport agencies, with a budget of Rs 4,391 crore. These buses will be deployed in nine major cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Preference will be given to cities that replace old buses with new e-buses.
Promoting E-Trucks and E-Ambulances
To reduce air pollution, Rs 500 crore has been allocated for incentivizing e-trucks. Another Rs 500 crore will be used to promote the use of e-ambulances.
Charging Infrastructure
The scheme also addresses the issue of range anxiety by promoting the installation of electric vehicle public charging stations (EVPCS). A total of 22,100 fast chargers for e-4Ws, 1,800 fast chargers for e-buses, and 48,400 fast chargers for e-2Ws/3Ws will be installed, with a budget of Rs 2,000 crore.
Doubts Revealed
Union Cabinet -: The Union Cabinet is a group of top leaders in the Indian government who make important decisions. They are like a team of senior ministers who help the Prime Minister run the country.
PM E-DRIVE Scheme -: The PM E-DRIVE Scheme is a new plan by the Indian government to make more people use electric vehicles. ‘PM’ stands for Prime Minister, and ‘E-DRIVE’ stands for Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement.
Rs 10,900 crore -: Rs 10,900 crore is a lot of money! In Indian currency, ‘Rs’ stands for Rupees, and ‘crore’ means ten million. So, Rs 10,900 crore is 10,900 times ten million rupees.
subsidies -: Subsidies are financial help from the government to make things cheaper. In this case, the government will give money to make electric vehicles less expensive for people to buy.
e-2Ws -: e-2Ws stands for electric two-wheelers, like electric scooters and bikes. They run on electricity instead of petrol or diesel.
e-3Ws -: e-3Ws stands for electric three-wheelers, like electric rickshaws. These are small vehicles with three wheels that also run on electricity.
e-ambulances -: e-ambulances are ambulances that run on electricity. They are used to take sick or injured people to the hospital.
e-trucks -: e-trucks are trucks that run on electricity. They are used to transport goods and are better for the environment than diesel trucks.
fast chargers -: Fast chargers are special devices that can charge electric vehicles quickly. They help people charge their vehicles in a short amount of time.
e-buses -: e-buses are buses that run on electricity. They are used for public transport and help reduce air pollution.
air pollution -: Air pollution is when the air gets dirty because of smoke and harmful gases. It can make people sick and is bad for the environment.
range anxiety -: Range anxiety is the worry that an electric vehicle will run out of battery before reaching its destination. The PM E-DRIVE Scheme aims to reduce this worry by installing more charging stations.
