There will be a smooth transition for the registration of electric vehicles (EVs) under the Prime Minister Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme to get the subsidies through a portal. This is in contrast with the earliertransition this year from the FAME-II scheme to the Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme (EMPS), which was challenging.
Sources at the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) say that Minister HD Kumaraswamy will kick start the PM E-DRIVE scheme on October 1, coinciding with the end of the current EMPS scheme on September 30. The portal for vehicle registration will also be launched by the Minister on October 1.
“The Minister will launch the PM E-DRIVE scheme on October 1, at Bharat Mandapam Centre, and portal will also be part of it. EV manufacturers from the two and three-wheelers, trucks and e-buses sector, will also be attending the event as the scheme is open for these vehicles,” a senior official at MHI told businessline.
PM E-DRIVE scheme
The PM E-DRIVE scheme was approved by the Cabinet earlier this month, in which the Centre has allocated budget of ₹10,900 crore for a period of two years.
A new feature of e-vouchers has also been added in this scheme. At the time of purchase of the EV, the scheme portal will generate an Aadhaar-authenticated e-voucher for the buyer. A link to download the e- voucher will be sent to the buyer’s registered mobile number. The buyer will then sign the e-voucherand submit it to the dealer to avail of demand incentives under the scheme.
Thereafter, the e-voucher will also be signed by the dealer and uploaded on the PM E-DRIVE portal. The signed e-voucher will be sent to the buyer and dealer via SMS. The signed e-voucher will be essential for the OEM to claim reimbursement of demand incentives under the scheme.
The scheme will also avail 100 per cent support for 88,500 sites to facilitate charging infrastructure. Additionally, there will be support for testing and standardisation facilities.
According to industry veterans, the Faster Adaption of Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) and EMPS initiatives have helped in 20 per cent e-3W penetration in the country. Now, with the PM E-DRIVE, India can become the first country to achieve 100 per cent electrification in this segment by 2030, they said.