The first week of the Kejriwal Government's Switch Delhi electric vehicle campaign focusing on electric two-wheelers has garnered enthusiastic support from the public and industry alike as people have started switching to electric two-wheelers in large numbers.

Since the launch of Delhi EV policy in August 2020, 630 new two-wheelers have been registered and more are being registered every day, the Delhi government said in a statement.

The first week of the Switch Delhi campaign focused on generating awareness on the benefits of EV two-wheelers along with the benefits offered under the Delhi EV policy for those who want to make the switch from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) vehicles to electric.

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said, “Since the launch of Delhi EV policy, 630 new EV two-wheelers have been registered and more are being registered every day. Analysis by RMI India reveals that subsidies provided on electric two wheelers under Delhi EV policy have made the upfront purchase price comparable to top selling petrol two wheelers. But the real saving is in operating cost.

By switching to electric two wheeler, an individual can have monthly savings of approximately INR 1850 and INR 1650 compared to petrol scooter and petrol bike respectively.”

The environmental benefits upon switching to Delhi are significant. Gahlot said, "An average electric two wheeler provides a lifetime savings of 1.98 tonnes of carbon emissions as compared to an average petrol two wheelers. To put it simply, we need roughly 11 trees to sequester 1.98 tonnes of CO2. We can save our environment by making this switch and we owe this to our future generations."

Responding to Switch Delhi campaign's call for Delhiites to step forward and share their experiences of switching to EVs under #DilliKeGreenWarrior initiative, following are the stories of four Delhiites who have switched to electric two-wheelers after the implementation of Delhi EV Policy.

Owing to the Chief Minister’s leadership in promoting zero-emission vehicles, many EV two-wheeler companies have decided to aggressively launch new vehicle models in Delhi. Praising the Delhi government’s initiative, Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto, said, “The comprehensive, pragmatic and progressive EV policy of the Delhi government inspired us at Bajaj Auto to accelerate our plan to scale up our iconic electric Chetak as also to introduce electric avatars of our market leading 3 wheelers. We look forward to working vigorously with the Delhi government to further the cause of a cleaner tomorrow for the city of Delhi.”

Tarun Mehta, Co-founder and CEO, Ather Energy said, “The Delhi Government has been rolling out progressive policies for the adoption of electric vehicles. The Switch EV campaign should revive consumer interest about electric vehicles in the city. We have seen great response across launch markets for the Ather 450X and we will open our experience centre, another space in Delhi in the next few weeks.” Many other EV two-wheeler companies such as Hero Electric, Okinawa and TVS have already launched several vehicle models in Delhi.”

Switch Delhi is an eight-week mass awareness campaign by the Delhi Government to sensitize each and every Delhiite about the benefits of switching to EVs to the environment as well as to make them aware of the incentives and infrastructure being developed under Delhi’s EV policy. The campaign aims at informing, encouraging, and motivating each and every person in Delhi to switch from polluting vehicles to zero-emission electric vehicles.