According to T R B Rajaa, the minister for industries, Tamil Nadu is working to upgrade its EV charging infrastructure in order to hasten the adoption of EVs in the state. The government also changed a regulation to allow battery-powered e-autorickshaws, e-taxis, and e-buses to be awarded permits by the transportation department without a permission charge in an effort to increase EV consumption.
Before, neither battery-operated passenger cars nor cars powered by methanol or ethanol were granted permission. Battery-operated passenger vehicles using methanol or ethanol fuel were excluded from getting a permit, according to a 2018 announcement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The current action by the Tamil Nadu government follows a meeting with the city’s industries minister, Rajaa, on June 16 where he was briefed on the situation by representatives of the electric vehicle business.
In light of this, the government changed its policy to state that the transport department must grant licenses free of charge for the registration of e-autorickshaws, e-taxis, private EV buses, and passenger vehicles that run on methanol or ethanol.
What did T R B Rajaa say about EV charging facilities in Tamil Nadu?
An official announcement stated that registration for EVs operating as passenger transportation, such as e-autorickshaws, e-taxis, and EV buses, will now start in Tamil Nadu. “This shows how accommodating this administration is to business needs. Because of Chief Minister M K Stalin’s strong leadership, we can quickly implement policy changes, Rajaa added. By speeding the adoption of EVs, this amendment would make it possible for the government to put its Electric Vehicle Policy into action by 2023.
We are also trying to upgrade the EV charging infrastructure across Tamil Nadu based on feedback from the sector. The state’s demand for EVs will undoubtedly increase greatly as a result of upgraded EV charging infrastructure, he said.
All transport vehicles that are battery-operated or run on methanol or ethanol fuel, with the exception of goods trucks whose gross vehicle weight is below 3,000 kg, must obtain permission; there is no price for this permit, according to an order from P Amudha, principal secretary of the transport department, on June 28. According to the press release, “This (development) has filled a critical policy gap and will support the expansion of EV fleets in Tamil Nadu.”
