Registration of electric-vehicles spikes within a year in Pune

As per data, the total number of petrol-driven vehicles in the city is 3,777,973, of which 183,766 were registered from April 1, 2022 to March 31 this year, which is just a 5 per cent jump in registrations compared to electric vehicles.

Deputy RTO Sanjiv Bhor attributed the growth of e-vehicles in Pune to various reasons. “With growing awareness, people have realised the tax benefits that they get from buying electric vehicles. The 100 per cent tax exemption for purchasing electric vehicles has encouraged people to use more and more EVs,” he said.

“Alongside tax exemption, the increased number of charging stations and manufacturing companies have also encouraged people to use Evs,” he added.

According to an official, there are defined criteria for categorising EVs as vehicles or otherwise. E-bikes with less than 250 watts of power and with speeds below 25 kmph are excluded from the category. Such bikes are exempt from requiring a licence and registration.

As of March 31, 2023, the overall number of motor vehicles in Pune city stands at 4,487,523. Among these, 46,067 are battery-operated vehicles, constituting approximately 1 per cent. Petrol-driven vehicles account for 3,777,973, making up 84 per cent of the total vehicles running in Pune.

The remaining 15 per cent comprises vehicles utilising CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), diesel and those retrofitted with LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas).