Telangana to launch electric vehicle policy next month

Hyderabad: The Telangana government will next month launch its policy for electric vehicles to provide incentives to manufacturers and private players setting up charging stations, a senior government official said on Thursday.

Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary, Industry, Commerce and Information Technology, said the policy will offer incentives for setting up charging stations and enable creation of infrastructure like allotment of lands.

The policy will also provide necessary regulatory framework for the sector. The government will amend certain laws so that the power can be drawn from power stations for charging facilities, he told reporters on the sidelines of an event where Mahindra Electric and Zoomcar announced launch of shared mobility in Hyderabad.Zoomcar has deployed 20 Mahindra e20Plus on its platform for hire.

Ranjan said the EV policy was almost ready and they were waiting for feedback from the Transport and Municipal Administration Departments on the proposals. "Once we get their feedback, the policy draft will be sent to Chief Secretary and later to the Chief Minister for approval," he said.He said they already consulted industry and experts on the EV policy. The state government also hopes to attract EV manufacturers.

The EV market is currently small but once it starts growing, Mahindra will ramp up the production at its facility in Zaheerabad in Telangana, he said.Ranjan said he feels that electric vehicles could also play a key role in ensuring last mile connectivity for commuters of Hyderabad Metro, which is set to be launched next week.

Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) has already tied-up with Uber and Ola to ensure last mile connectivity to and from metro stations. The commuters will have multiple options including electric cycles and pedal cycles from the stations to reach their destinations.