Delhi to Ban Non-Electric Two and Three-Wheeler Registrations by 2028
The Delhi government has notified the 'Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy 2026', establishing strict deadlines to phase out the registration of new non-electric two- and three-wheelers across Delhi to curb air pollution. Under the newly notified policy, which was officially issued on July 1, the city will halt the registration of new non-electric three-wheelers by January 1, 2027, followed by a ban on new non-electric two-wheelers on April 1, 2028.
This marks the first time the Delhi government has introduced sweeping mandates to stop the registration of petrol and diesel two- and three-wheelers. The policy document also reveals the government’s intent to bring out electrification mandates for four-wheelers in the future, alongside a framework to disincentivise polluting vehicles that use inefficient fuels. No specific timeline or sunset date has been set for the four-wheeler transition.
Currently, the only incentive for four-wheelers in the policy is a scrapping incentive. The first 100,000 applicants who scrap an existing internal combustion engine vehicle and purchase an electric car within six months will be eligible for this incentive.
The government highlighted that two-wheelers make up approximately 67 percent of the total vehicle stock in Delhi, making their rapid transition critical to reducing vehicular emissions. Three-wheelers and commercial vehicles also contribute disproportionately to urban air pollution due to their high daily utilization and mileage.
The two-wheeler mandate faced significant opposition during stakeholder consultations. Industry representatives cited a lack of electric options for the large population dependent on petrol two-wheelers. They also raised concerns regarding India's dependence on China for battery manufacturing and rare-earth processing, and questioned the environmental benefits of electric vehicles given that approximately 71 percent of India's electricity is generated from coal-based power.
Presently, electric four-wheelers account for about 11 percent of Delhi’s overall four-wheeler fleet, with a penetration rate of 8.3 percent in the private car segment and 14.2 percent for passenger four-wheelers.
