Delhi Propels Final-Mile Deliveries in Bid to Become India’s Electric Vehicle Capital
Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC), in collaboration with RMI and RMI India, proposes roadmap for 100% electrification of last-mile delivery fleets in Delhi, at the third Delhi Electric Vehicle (EV) Forum
New Delhi, April 19, 2022
The Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDC-D), in collaboration with RMI India, co-hosted the third Delhi EV Forum today. The forum witnessed a constructive dialogue between the government and various stakeholders of the EV ecosystem. More than 130 participants attended the discussion from amongst original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), charging infrastructure manufacturers and operators, mall associations, market associations, residents’ welfare associations (RWAs), fleet aggregators, start-ups, academia, and civil society. The forum saw participation from Shri Kailash Gahlot, Minister (Transport), Govt. of NCT of Delhi; Mr. Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, DDC-D; and senior government officials of the Delhi Transport Department such as Mr. Ashish Kundra, Principal Secretary-cum-Commissioner (Transport), Govt. of NCT of Delhi.
The Delhi EV Forum was kickstarted with a policy implementation overview by Shri Ashish Kundra. “Delhi has embarked on this incredible journey of electric mobility, so much so that the share of EVs in total vehicle sales was over 12% for the past quarter,” he said. “We are committed to address the challenge of air pollution in Delhi, and have committed to accelerate to the next phase where we focus on electrifying public transport in the next 1.5 years.”
The inaugural session also saw the release of a new report by DDC Delhi, RMI and RMI India. The report, titled, “Roadmap for 100% Delivery Electrification in Delhi: Unlocking Insights from the Deliver Electric Delhi Pilot”, provides insights from the implementation of the Deliver Electric Delhi pilot—initiated by DDC, RMI, and RMI India in June 2019—and provides a roadmap that can lead to 100% electrification of last-mile delivery service fleets in Delhi by 2030. “The roadmap, developed in partnership with RMI India, will enable Delhi’s sure-footed embarkation upon the path of accelerating adoption of EVs for delivery fleets,” stated Shri Jasmine Shah, Vice Chairperson, DDC-D. “The evolution of Delhi’s Electric Vehicle policy 2020 was strongly rooted in consultations and continuous discussions with all stakeholders and it is their enthusiastic participation that led to the framing of a very robust policy that was welcomed by all in the EV ecosystem.”
During the three-hour meeting, industry representatives provided their inputs on the stepping-stones towards achieving 100% electrification of their delivery fleets. They also elaborated upon the challenges and opportunities surrounding the installation of charging stations in semi-public spaces like hospitals, malls, markets, and RWAs. In addition, the potential challenges and opportunities surrounding retrofitting technologies were also deliberated upon. Considering 15-year-old petrol vehicles and 10-year-old diesel vehicles have to be scrapped in the national capital, retrofitting old vehicles to electric presents a unique opportunity for Delhi.
Highlighting the progressive EV Policy, Shri Kailash Gahlot, Minister (Transport), Govt. of NCT of Delhi, stated, “Under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal, we are fulfilling our promises by achieving key milestones in promoting EV mobility and charging infrastructure. Stakeholder consultations have always been a key aspect of all our policies and Delhi’s EV Policy is a classic example of what can be achieved when the government and other stakeholders collaborate and dream together.” He added that, “It is now the turn of RWAs, commercial establishment owners and citizens to play their crucial roles in creating awareness and adding more EV charging infrastructure.”
Delegates participating in the forum shared their perspectives and suggestions on Delhi’s EV roadmap and how they could contribute to Delhi’s clean mobility journey. While discussing the outcomes of the breakout groups, Akshima Ghate, Managing Director, RMI India, said, “The Delhi government’s commitment and effort towards ensuring a consultative process throughout the EV policy formulation and implementation process is unprecedented. Platforms like the Delhi EV Forum, Delhi Urban Mobility Lab, Deliver Electric Delhi pilot, and campaigns like Switch Delhi have ensured that every stakeholder gets an opportunity to participate in Delhi’s EV journey.”
For more details, please contact Jyoti Kalash at [email protected] and Dimpy Suneja at [email protected]
About Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi
The Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi (DDC-D) is the policy think tank of the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi and advises the government on finding sustainable, people-centric solutions to the critical development challenges faced by Delhi.
About RMI
RMI is an independent non-profit founded in 1982 that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale up energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Oakland, California; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.
About RMI India
RMI India is an independent think-and-do tank that works with diverse stakeholders. It takes inspiration from and collaborates with RMI, a 40-year-old non-governmental organisation. RMI India’s mission is to accelerate India’s transition to a clean, prosperous, and inclusive energy future.
More information about RMI and RMI India can be found at www.rmi.org and www.rmi-india.org