Telangana govt exempts EV buyers from road tax, registration fees

Hyderabad: To promote electric vehicles, the Telangana government has decided to provide 100 percent exemption from road tax and registration fees on the purchase of electric vehicles (EVs) in the state. The state government issued a GO 41 related to the incentives on Sunday.

The Congress government has taken this major policy decision to reduce growing pollution in cities like Hyderabad. Citizens could benefit from this policy until December 31, 2026. The incentives are linked to the purchase and registration of electric 2-wheelers and 4-wheelers within the state.

Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar unveiled the Telangana Electric Vehicle & Energy Storage Policy 2020-203 on Sunday and said the scheme would be effective on Monday.

“This policy would help us avoid pollution in Hyderabad as our focus is to avoid Delhi like situation,” the minister said.

The EV policy also covers electric buses purchased and registered in Telangana for the initial two years, up to December 31, 2026. Electric buses operated by the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation are fully exempt from road tax and registration fees for the entire life of the electric vehicles.

Taking significant steps towards reducing air pollution, the government has decided to introduce 3,000 electric buses in Hyderabad, replacing the existing diesel vehicles.