Delhi EV Policy: 30% School Buses Electric by 2030, ICE Two and Three-Wheeler Registrations Banned

Delhi’s proposed EV policy mandates that 30% of all school buses go electric by March 2030, bans new ICE three-wheeler registrations from 2027 and two-wheelers from 2028.

It also offers 100% road tax exemption for electric cars priced below Rs 30 lakh, all outlined in a government document ahead of the upcoming budget session.

The Delhi government is preparing to table a new Electric Vehicle policy during the upcoming budget session of the Delhi Assembly.

School Bus Electrification: A Phased Mandate

The most significant provision in the draft policy is a legally binding timeline for electrifying Delhi’s school bus fleet, whether those buses are owned, leased, or hired by schools.

The targets are:

• Year 2 after policy notification: 10% of the total school bus fleet must be electric
• Year 3: 20% electric
• By March 31, 2030: 30% of the entire fleet must be electric

The Delhi Education Department will be responsible for implementing the school bus electrification scheme.

The mandate covers all schools, both private and government-aided and unaided, with no exemption based on the ownership structure of the vehicle.

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All Government Vehicles to Be Electrified Immediately

Separately from the school bus timeline, the policy proposes that the entire Delhi government vehicle fleet be electrified upon official notification.

No phased timeline is mentioned for this; it is an immediate directive upon notification.

Road Tax and Registration Fee Exemption

To lower the upfront cost of EV ownership and accelerate adoption, the policy proposes a full waiver of road tax and registration fees for electric vehicles registered in Delhi, valid until March 31, 2030.

The exemption applies to electric cars with an ex-factory price below Rs 30 lakh. Vehicles priced above this threshold will not qualify.

The measure is expected to meaningfully reduce on-road prices for the majority of electric passenger cars currently available in the Indian market.

New ICE Registration Bans: Two-Wheelers and Three-Wheelers

The policy introduces hard cut-off dates for new internal combustion engine registrations in two categories:

• From January 1, 2027: Only electric three-wheelers will be permitted for new registration in Delhi
• From April 1, 2028: Only electric two-wheelers will be permitted for new registration in Delhi

These are not incentive-based nudges; they are registration bans. After these dates, ICE variants in these categories will not be eligible for fresh registration in the city.

Battery Waste Management

Recognising the scale of battery waste that a large EV fleet will generate, the policy assigns responsibility for battery collection infrastructure to the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

DPCC will be tasked with deploying battery collection centres across the city under a public-private partnership model, working alongside authorised recyclers.

The committee will also be required to notify standard operating procedures for equipment manufacturers covering the safe collection, storage, transportation, and transfer of waste batteries to authorised recyclers in compliance with existing waste management rules.

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What This Means

Delhi’s draft EV policy is notable for its specificity. Rather than broad aspirational targets, it sets fixed deadlines, assigns departmental responsibility, and includes enforcement mechanisms, particularly on school buses and government fleets.

The registration ban on new ICE three-wheelers and two-wheelers, if enacted as proposed, would be among the most aggressive EV transition mandates by any Indian state government to date.

The policy is expected to be tabled during the Delhi Assembly’s budget session. Final provisions may be subject to revision before formal notification.