Goemkarponn desk
PANAJI: The Department of New & Renewable Energy, Government of Goa, has issued a notice that states all-electric two-, three- and four-wheelers purchased on or after July 31 will not be eligible for the State subsidy anymore.
This makes the coastal tourist hub the first State to do away with EV subsidy in India.
All EVs purchased between December 16, 2021, and July 31, 2022, shall continue to get their benefits under the existing scheme.
The important question here is, how does this move affect the growing EV ecosystem in one of India’s top tourist destinations?
While the circular does not dive deep on the ‘why’ of the matter, Goa’s existing EV subsidy scheme caps subsidy eligibility to only 3,000 electric two-wheelers, 50 three-wheelers and 300 four-wheelers.
Those numbers aren’t the most encouraging for a state heavily dependent on tourism and rental two-/four-wheeler businesses.
Although EVs make a great deal of sense in touristy destinations to help preserve the environment better, a robust infrastructure must also be put in place for easy acceptance and given Goa’s topography and high mobility requirements, rental businesses will have to navigate current challenges like range and charging infrastructure, or lack thereof, before making bulk orders.
