Ahmedabad, January 10 A roadmap for the phased implementation of an electric vehicle policy for Ahmedabad city was launched by Alex Ellis, the British High Commissioner to India, and Harsh Sanghavi, Gujarat Minister of State for Transport, on Monday.
Along with the release of the Roadmap Report for Transformation of Ahmedabad to a Global EV Lighthouse City, a web portal for Electrification of Vehicles in Gujarat (e-VEG) was also launched under the aegis of the ‘UK - NITI Aayog - Gujarat knowledge exchange programme’.
The web portal is aimed at helping users and businesses switch to EVs by providing information on available resources such as charging points, and guidance on the latest policies and regulations, a statement said.
Both the portal and roadmap, have been developed based on international best practice, including learnings from the UK.
The British High Commissioner, Alex Ellis, said, “The science on climate change is clear and the future is electric; we need to shift now, together, from fossil fuels to renewables, across the globe. The UK and India, and especially Gujarat, are leading the charge.”
He added, “Gujarat is a model for electric mobility adoption in India, ranking among the top states in the country for EV sales. These new resources will accelerate that transition, creating new jobs and bringing new investments.”
Peter Cook, British Deputy High Commissioner to Gujarat, said, the UK was glad to support Gujarat’s ambitions in electric mobility. He hoped the current engagement would strengthen collaboration with Gujarat in many other key sectors, including higher education and sports.
On Monday, the UK High Commissioner also called on Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to discuss opportunities for deepening collaboration with the state across a range of sectors, including trade and education.
He also joined the 100th anniversary celebration of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj on January 8 and delivered a message from His Majesty the King, a statement said.