The Ministry of Heavy Industries has issued an amendment to the operational guidelines of the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme, originally released on 30th September 2024. The amendments include updates to the validity period of PM E-DRIVE certification, which must now be renewed whenever a new milestone occurs in any Phased Manufacturing Programme or if a new programme is issued. This applies to all electric vehicles covered under the scheme, including two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and now e-trucks.
Electric trucks, classified under the N2 and N3 categories as per the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, have been newly included in the scheme. These categories cover vehicles with gross vehicle weights ranging from 3.5 tonnes to 55 tonnes. The scheme allows incentives for puller tractors in articulated vehicle combinations. All such vehicles must be registered for commercial purposes and manufactured during the scheme’s valid period. The trucks are required to meet performance, efficiency, and manufacturing criteria as defined under the PMP guidelines.
A key provision mandates that all e-trucks must come with a minimum warranty of five years or 5,00,000 km for the battery, and five years or 2,50,000 km for both the motor and vehicle. The incentive offered will be the lowest among ₹5,000 per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity, 10% of the ex-factory price, or a maximum slab depending on the gross weight. The maximum incentive ranges from ₹2.7 lakh to ₹9.6 lakh, depending on the vehicle’s GVW.
The government aims to support the purchase of around 5,643 e-trucks under this scheme. Out of these, approximately 1,100 e-trucks will be earmarked for registration in Delhi, backed by an estimated allocation of ₹100 crore, to help improve the air quality in the capital.
To claim the incentive, buyers must submit a Certificate of Deposit (CD) from a registered vehicle scrapping facility, confirming that an ICE truck of equivalent or higher GVW has been scrapped. This CD is a prerequisite and must be verified by the dealer through the PM E-DRIVE portal before finalising the sale and offering the incentive as an upfront discount.
The operational guidelines also specify the billing process, updated forms for pre-registration of e-truck models, and the sample invoice format for better clarity to OEMs and dealers. OEMs must submit detailed information such as battery specifications, motor details, vehicle variant, and manufacturing details to obtain model approval and certification from designated testing agencies.
Manufacturers must also submit a formal undertaking at the time of claiming the incentive, affirming compliance with scheme guidelines, correct transfer of incentives to customers, and absence of any duplicate claims. All e-truck sales must be documented properly with updated acknowledgement and verification forms from both the customer and the dealer.
This amendment reflects the government’s push to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility in heavy-duty transport by widening the scope of existing schemes and introducing stricter compliance mechanisms for transparency and effectiveness.
