In order to give a boost to  battery-operated or electric vehicles in the country, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to waive registration charges for electric vehicles.

The draft notification of the amendment in Rule 81 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989, proposes to exempt Battery Operated Vehicles  from payment of fees for the purpose of issue or renewal of registration certificate and assignment of new registration mark.

This means that Electric Vehicles would be exempted from such registration charges. The move, aimed at promoting electric vehicles (EVs) in India, comes at a time when the country plans high penetration of such vehicles by 2030.

Issuing the draft notification to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, the ministry said battery-operated vehicles “shall be exempted from the payment of fees for the purpose of issue or renewal of registration certificate and assignment of new registration mark”. The exemption will apply to all category of vehicles, including two-wheelers. The amendments will be done in exercise of the powers conferred on the central government under various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. “The said draft rules shall be taken into consideration after the expiry of a period of 30 days from the date on which the copies of this notification as published in the Gazette of India, are made available to the public,” the draft notification said.

The Maharashtra government had earlier asked the Ministry to consider exemption from registration for the battery operated rickshaws.  The government has already exempted battery operated two-wheelers from registration.

Earlier last year, the Centre had notified rules for plying e-rickshaws, making driver’s licence mandatory and capping speed limit at 25 kmph. The government had also notified the Central Motor Vehicles (16th Amendment) Rules, 2014, paving the way for plying of the “special purpose battery operated vehicles”. The new rules allowed e-rickshaws to carry four passengers and 40kg luggage while e-carts could transport goods up to 310kg.