Kerala Electric Vehicle Policy
The high vehicle population of over ten million vehicles on road in Kerala State has made mobility a challenge, and it is accompanied by increase in road accidents and air pollution. Electric Vehicles (EV) or e-mobility is another step forward. Kerala is known for its environmental sensitiveness, bio diversity and tourist attractions, and the State wishes to maintain its texture and ensure sustainable development for its people. The transition to electric vehicles is a natural choice for the State in line with its development ethos.
The number of vehicles on the road is expected to get reduced with the introduction of modern shared transport systems like Electric Buses and e-Autorickshaws. They will provide comfortable and fatigue free ride, with no polluting gases, and much reduced vibration and noise. This will attract vehicle owners to move to shared mobility. The State plans a no-subsidy regime for EVs, as articulated by the NITI Aayog.
The State Government plans to ensures a robust infrastructure for electric vehicles that includes adequate power availability, network of charging points, and favorable power tariff. KSEBL will provide quality power for 24x7 throughout the year for a rate variable based on time of the day and season of the year.
Vision of Kerala EV Policy
To embrace electric mobility as a tool to promote shared mobility and clean transportation and ensure environment sustainability, pollution reduction, energy efficiency and conservation, and to create an ecosystem for manufacturing EV components in Kerala.
• Support the National commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• Improving the air quality, especially in the cities.
• Promoting shared mobility and clean transportation.
• Balancing of peak and off-peak power demand for the electric utility.
• Operational efficiency and savings for the transport utility (KSRTC) as well as the transport sector in general, and
• Strategic intent to boost hardware and software manufacturing in the State.
Kerala has targeted an EV plan which aims at rolling 1 million electric vehicles by 2022 including:
• 3,000 buses
• 2 lakh two-wheelers
• 50,000 three-wheelers
• 1,000 goods carriers
• 100 ferries as part of the pilot fleet.
• The government will build the charging infrastructure with the NTPC and Energy Efficient Services Ltd (EESL).
• Besides the plan of launching electric vehicle fleet, Kerala Government is also planning to create E-mobility zones in tourist spots including Kovalam, Munnar and Bekal alongside the Secretariat, Technopark and Infopark.
