Maharashtra’s government said on Sunday that it will purchase or rent solely electric vehicles (EVs) for utilization by the government or urban local bodies beginning in January 2022, rather than April 1, in an effort to promote e-mobility in the state.
Aaditya Thackeray, the state’s tourist and environment minister, tweeted, “Keeping our commitment to clean mobility and encouraging residents, the Maharashtra government has decided to execute the decision of Purchasing or Renting only EVs for Govt/ Urban Local Bodies/ Corporations,”
Mahatma Phule Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Technology Ltd’s (MAHAPREIT), CMD Bipin Shrimali said on Sunday that it will start providing fleet management services this month, supplying EVs on rent as well as charging infrastructure to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
“With a primary focus on the transition to electric vehicles in government operations, we are also building robust infrastructure,” said Shrimali stating that they have laid out the strategy for installing 134 EV charging stations across Mumbai by 2022, 70 on the Mumbai-Nashik-Nagpur national highway NH53 and 10 more charging stations along the bustling Pune Expressway.
Each charging station along the Nagpur highway will be built on one acre of land and would have amenities like food shops and parking, he added.
To electrify public transportation as part of its EV programme for 2021, the Maharashtra government has also decided to use capital allocated by the 15th Finance Commission.
The strategy seeks to put at least 1,46,000 new battery-powered electric Vehicles (BEVs) on state roads by 2025, which is expected to account for around 10% of all new vehicle registrations at that time.
