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GOA, 22 July 2023: The Government of Goa has set an ambitious goal to promote electric vehicles (EV) in the state. In a recent announcement, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant revealed that starting from January 2024, all new rental cars and bikes must be electric. Additionally, the government plans to retrofit all existing fleet vehicles with electric powertrains by June 2024.
Under this mandate, not only will all new tourist vehicles, including cab and bike rentals, be required to be EVs from January 2024, but all new government light motor vehicles (LMVs) purchased from the same date will also be mandated to be electric. Furthermore, permit holders with multiple tourist taxis, rent-a-bike, and rent-a-cab operations must retrofit 30% of their fleet to electric by June 2024.
Chief Minister Sawant addressed the move during the Energy Transitions Working Group Meeting at the G20 summit in Goa. He emphasized that with Goa’s heavy dependence on tourism, road traffic contributes to a significant 40% of total carbon emissions in the state. Thus, the government is taking these measures to make the state’s transport system more environment friendly.
Despite the bold initiative, Goa faces challenges in terms of EV infrastructure. The current electric vehicle charging grid in the state is not as dense compared to larger cities, with charging stations mainly concentrated around city hubs. Additionally, frequent power cuts present a hurdle to providing a seamless charging experience.
However, the chief minister also highlighted that Goa has shown positive receptivity to EVs. Since the introduction of EV concessions in 2021, the state has witnessed a notable increase in EV ownership, rising from 0.2% to 9.4%. While the timeframe for this shift was not specified, the policy aims to ensure that by 2025, at least 30% of all newly registered vehicles in the state will be electric.
In light of the recent cut in the FAME II subsidy across the country by the central government, the Goa government is considering introducing its own set of subsidies. These local incentives will further encourage the adoption of electric vehicles and support the state’s ambitious targets.
Goa’s endeavor to transition its tourist vehicles to electric power is a significant stride towards a greener and more sustainable transportation future. However, addressing infrastructure challenges and implementing targeted subsidies will be essential to achieving the state’s ambitious EV adoption goals by 2025.
Image credit: JLR
