Ladakh launches E- vehicle plan

The Union Territory of Ladakh has come up with an electric vehicle policy, “Ladakh’s Electric Vehicle and Allied Infrastructure Policy 2022”.

Key-points

The policy aims to transform Ladakh into a torchbearer in terms of the adoption of electric vehicles in the country and envisions encouraging and cultivating an EV ecosystem in the Union Territory.
With this, the administration will encourage the citizens to procure and use e-vehicles to create a carbon-neutral future for the UT.
The policy entails a capital subsidy of 10 per cent on two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheelers.
Public buses will be given a capital subsidy of 25 per cent under the policy.

Electric Vehicles

An EV is a vehicle that operates on an electric motor, instead of an internal-combustion engine that generates power by burning a mix of fuel and gases.
Benefits
- Seen as a possible replacement for current-generation automobiles, in order to address the issues of rising pollution, global warming, depleting natural resources, etc.
- Even though the concept of EVs has been around for a long time, it gained momentum amid the concern of rising carbon footprint and other environmental impacts of fuel-based vehicles.

Indian Policies on EVs

In 2010, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE),announced a financial incentive for manufacturers for EVs sold in India.
In 2013, India unveiled the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020.
- It aimed to make amajor shift to EVs and to address the issues of national energy security, vehicular pollution, and the growth of domestic manufacturing capabilities.
- It offered subsidies and created a supporting infrastructure for e-vehicles but the plan has not been implemented.
In the Union Budget 2015-16, the ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of EVs’ (FAME) scheme was announced, with an initial outlay of Rs. 75 crore.
In 2017, the Transport Ministryhighlighted its intent to move to 100 percent electric cars by 2030.
In February 2019, the Union Cabinet cleared an 10,000-crore programmeunder the FAME-II scheme.