The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) for the authorization of manufacturers for marketing and distribution of battery operated three wheelers (E-Rickshaws) under the state’s Battery Operated three-wheeler (BOV) program.

Subsidies worth ₹30,000 (~$409) for vehicles with lead acid batteries and ₹40,000 (~$545) for vehicles with lithium ion batteries will be provided to interested manufacturers for the year 2018-19.

The last date of physical submission of EoI is November 5, 2018.

The battery operated E-Rickshaws with lead acid batteries sold under the program should be covered under comprehensive warrantee against any manufacturing defect for a period of one year from the date of sale. Lithium-ion batteries shall be covered under three years warrantee from the date of sale.

It should be noted that Gujarat aims at marketing 600 battery operated three wheelers (E-Rickshaw) in the state up to March 31, 2019.

The state had recently provided subsidy to around 2,000 people for the purchase of two-wheeler EVs under which each beneficiary was provided a subsidy of 10,000 (~$156) for purchasing an EV two-wheeler. The incentive was part of GEDA’s plan to implement a subsidy program for school students (standards 9 to 12) as well as college students in the cities of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Gandhinagar. The state government’s plan is aimed at increasing the uptake of EVs in the state.

The central government has also been proactive with various subsidies to promote EVs that can be used for mass transportation. Recently, the government decided to yet again extend the duration of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles (FAME) program aimed at facilitating the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Mercom reported previously that the central government has already approved a subsidy corpus of ₹55 billion (~$0.78 billion) to be disbursed under the second phase of FAME program. The FAME II program will be in force for five years.

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