Along with these inducements, the government has given timelines beyond which only EV two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and light commercial carriers will be permitted, which will force buyers to adopt cleaner mobility. The government’s propensity for arm-twisting may be resented by buyers, but given the narrative control the party enjoys, a backlash is unlikely. It is in the ruling party’s DNA to use coercive tactics against hapless citizens while justifying them as being done in their best interests. The authoritarian impulse to thrust things on people rather than persuade them through communication and behaviour change goes against the spirit of democratic functioning. Instead of citizens’ choice, the policy appears to prioritise the interests of automobile manufacturers by enabling long-term planning of their production schedules.

One of the main challenges for EV adoption has been access to public charging stations. Besides mandating dealers to set up public charging stations, government agencies, including power utilities, will be responsible for planning and executing the charging infrastructure. At present, Delhi boasts about 10,000 charging points — a third of which reportedly came up in the last year — and the target is to triple them by 2030. In many parts of the national capital, finding the required land for charging stations could be a major obstacle. Though the charging equipment does not occupy much space, EV vehicles need to be parked for a longer time for the charging to complete.

With the proliferation of EVs, there will be discernible pressure on the city’s power grid. Even though EV charging accounts for a small percentage of electricity consumption now, it is bound to grow in the future along with the demand from other categories like air conditioning, and therefore will be susceptible to peak-hour stress. To support the surge in demand from EVs, especially E-bus fleets, the government needs to deploy demand response and managed or smart charging systems which use cutting-edge software to optimise energy flow and consumption to prevent power overloads.

Those planning to opt for hybrid vehicles will be disappointed by Delhi's new EV policy, as it offers no incentives. Speculation is rife about the possible reasons for excluding hybrids from the incentives regime, and many believe that the pure EV lobby managed to sway the government in their favour against rival hybrid automobile manufacturing giants. Once again, the government is forcing the hand of buyers to go for pure EVs in its pursuit of total electrification of mobility, rather than hybrids, which represent an intermediate technology.