The UT Administration is considering a pause in the registration of internal combustion engine (ICE) two-wheelers, as only 43 registration slots remain available for the financial year 2023-24.
In response to the revised Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy enacted on October 18, the allocation for non-electric two-wheeler registrations was extended by 1,609 units for the current financial year. Nevertheless, it is expected that this quota will be fully utilized by 29 October, leaving room for the registration of approximately 43 vehicles.
The city currently hosts ten automobile dealers who collectively sell around 20,000 non-electric two-wheelers annually, approximately 1,600 each month. During the festival season, this number can surge to around 4,000 per month.
The Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA) halted the registration of internal combustion engine two-wheelers upon reaching the target set by the EV Policy on October 6. The target called for the registration of only 12,076 petrol-powered two-wheelers in the city by March 31 of the following year, a milestone that was reached on October 6, leading to the suspension of further registrations.
It’s worth noting that the UT Administration launched the EV Policy on September 20, 2022. Previously, the Administration had also suspended the registration of non-electric two-wheelers from February 10 to March 31 for the 2022-23 financial year upon achieving the target.
Data from September 20, 2022, to September 18 of this year revealed that 19,592 non-electric two-wheelers were registered compared to 1,807 electric two-wheelers. Similarly, 26,372 non-electric four-wheelers were registered compared to 752 electric vehicles and 263 strong hybrid vehicles during this period.
Following criticism from stakeholders, the UT Administration revised its Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy in the first week of July, reducing the registration target for electric two-wheelers to 35 per cent from the previous 70 per cent, with the goal to be achieved in 2023-24. The Electric Vehicle Policy-2022 was implemented to transform Chandigarh into a “Model EV City” by increasing the penetration of zero-emission vehicles within a five-year policy period.
