Diesel vehicles fitted with an electric kit can continue to ply on the roads of Delhi beyond 10 years
The Delhi government has announced that it will allow diesel cars older than 10 years to be used on Delhi’s roads but only after they have been retrofitted with electric kits.
Making the announcement, Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot said that diesel vehicles fitted with an electric kit can continue to ply on the roads of Delhi beyond 10 years.
“Delhi is now open to ICE to electric retrofitting! Vehicles if found fit can convert their diesel to electric engines, the department will empanel manufacturers of pure electric kits by approved testing agencies. Once empanelled this will enable vehicles to continue plying here beyond 10 yrs,” Gahlot said on Twitter.
As per the current laws, diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years are not allowed to run in the NCR. The order was issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2015 and in 2018 by the Supreme Court.
This comes as Delhi witnessed a surge in the sales of electric vehicles. In the period of July to September, electric vehicles accounted for seven per cent of the total number of vehicles registered with the Delhi government’s transport department, while CNG vehicles accounted for six per cent, according to official figures.