India launches ‘EV as a Service’ for government ministries

To meet the growing demand for electric mobility within the Indian government, Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) will offer a variety of EV models for ministries to choose from. Offering a flexible procurement model is supposed to help departments adopt EV models suited to their operational needs.

The country’s Union Minister of Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Manohar Lal, kickstarted the programme. CESL aims to deploy 5,000 electric vehicles to government officials and ministries over the next two years. It also aligns with the country’s goal to become net-zero by 2070.

“The ‘EV as a Service’ programme exemplifies CESL’s commitment to providing clean mobility solutions and accelerating India’s journey towards sustainable transportation,” said Shri Manohar Lal, according to The Economic Times. “With initiatives like these, India is making significant strides towards a future where clean energy is integral to public transportation.”

According to Indian media reports, CESL has already deployed about 2,000 electric cars across India, as well as some 17,000 electric buses.

India just recently launched the subsidy scheme ‘PM Electric Drive Revolution In Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE)‘ to support the adoption of electric two- and three-wheeler, as well as electric commercial vehicles. Close to 44 billion rupees (about 488.5 million euros) have been reserved to fund 14,028 electric buses, while five billion rupees (55.5 million euros) have been earmarked for the purchase of electric ambulances and 500,000 for electric trucks.

economictimes.indiatimes.com, smestreet.in