People driving electric vehicles (EVs) will soon require a licence and registration number. The Government is working on new norms for the EVs, similar to other vehicles.

The reason for such a step, say Government sources, is because EVs need some regulation, especially on the safety aspects.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways are in talks for an ‘EV Scheme’ to take care of the new norms and guidelines, which are expected by July-end.

Necessary documents

“Under the new norms, all papers, such as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) certification, Regional Transport Office (RTO) registration certificate and dealer invoice will be required for the driver,” an official at the Ministry of Heavy Industries told BusinessLine said. Apart from such papers, these vehicles would also need to clear tests the Automotive Research Association of India, as per the guidelines on safety parameters, the official added.

Since the upper limit of EVs (above 0.25Kv or speed above 40kmph) require such regulations, who should the low-end be overlooked, said the official. The current Indian Motor Vehicles’ Act does not have any such regulations for vehicles up to 0.25 kW or maximum speed up to 25kmph as these are treated as bicycles.

However, amidst plans for more environment-friendly vehicles and the companies tying up with global technology houses, such regulations would hamper the EV industry, which is in a bad shape, said Sohinder Gill, Director, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV).

“This will drastically let the industry down, especially the low-speed EVs, which are sold to students. The students (16-18 years old) category has the most number of consumers for many companies,” he said.

Gill said instead of the Government giving more subsidies to the EV industry, it is preparing for stricter norms, which are not prevalent even in countries such as the US, China or Europe.

E-rickshaws

He said the main issues concern e-rickshaws, which are plying on roads with more than the maximum load and have no safety norms.

“The Government should implement ‘mild’ licences for the drivers between 16-18, which were prevalent in earlier days for the ‘moped’ category,” he added.

According to SMEV, India sold around 20,000 EVs in 2013-14, as opposed to 42,000 units in 2012-13.

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