The Road Ministry has proposed the exemption of registration fee for electric vehicles. The attempt comes as a part of the Government's plans to create an ecosystem that will help in better adoption of electric vehicles in India. The exemption of registration free will be applicable for all categories of electric vehicles including two-wheelers, three wheelers and four wheelers. Owners of the existing vehicles will not have to pay any renewal fees as well. The Government of India is pushing to boost the adoption of electric vehicles as it aims to bring down oil imports and the pollution level in the country.

The proposal comes at a time when the country plans high penetration of such vehicles by 2030. Issuing the draft notification to amend the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR), 1989, the road transport and highways ministry said battery-operated vehicles "shall be exempted from the payment of fees for the purpose of issue or renewal of registration certificate and assignment of new registration mark". The ministry has issued the draft notification for amendments in CMVR where the amendments in Rule 81 are proposed for such waiver. The amendments will be done in exercise of the powers conferred on the central government under various sections of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. Comments from stakeholders have been sought in a month.

"The said draft rules shall be taken into consideration after the expiry of a period of 30 days from the date on which the copies of this notification as published in the Gazette of India, are made available to the public," the draft notification said. The objections or suggestions that may be received from any person with respect to the said draft rules before the expiry of the aforesaid period will be considered by the central government, it said.

Last year, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said a blueprint has been drawn to boost production of electric vehicles in the country and take their share to 15 percent of total automobiles in the next five years. Earlier to promote electric vehicles in India, the government had approved green license plates bearing numbers in white fonts for private e-vehicles and yellow for taxis.