Why Delhi needs to take a deeper breath

It's been more than a week since Delhi's Electric Vehicle Policy 2026 came into effect. Valid until March 31, 2030, it puts tackling air pollution and adopting clean mobility as its top goals. Through a combination of incentives, subsidies and mandates, the state government has targeted the entire vehicle spectrum - 2-wheelers (65% of vehicles registered), 3-wheelers (3.8%), and others (31.5%). If the intention is to increase EV penetration, Delhi has then taken a decent first step, involving OEMs in setting up public charging infra and battery-swapping mechanisms. Both will require further policy and operational detailing. But, by itself, this policy will do little to improve air quality and bring about clean mobility.

Transportation accounts for 19-23% of Delhi's pollution, contributes to dust (15-27%) and secondary particulates (17-27%). Delhi will only register electric 2- and 3-wheeler passenger and goods carriers, but it can't stop non-EVs in its traffic flow. Nearly 1.2 mn vehicles enter the Capital every day from Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida alone. Also, non-electric 2- and 3-wheelers can be registered till March 31, 2028, and December 31, 2026, respectively. Impact on tailpipe emissions (zero for EVs) is difficult to determine. There will also be no reduction in non-exhaust emissions, which account for 38% of dust pollution.

Swapping out the current hydrocarbon-based system for electrification is not enough. The goal must be to build a system that ultimately integrates mass public transport that connects bus, metro, light rail/trams and rail seamlessly, and is reliable, accessible, affordable. Non-motorised options like cycling and walking must also be encouraged. Private vehicles have a place, but not be the default option for every trip.