I’ve long said that cities should do much more to electrify transport. They have resources and power, and they also typically suffer from air pollution issues that drastically hurt their residents. Delhi, India, is one of the most polluted cities in the world. It has tried for years to stimulate EV adoption. However, that hasn’t worked quite well enough (not nearly well enough), so the city has just stepped up its game and is strong-arming the transition a bit more. Going backward several years to just before COVID-19 hit the world, the city approved the Delhi Electric Vehicles Policy 2020 in December 2019. This set an EV adoption target that was quite ambitious at the time. The city wanted 25% of new vehicle registrations to be EVs by 2024. The method of achieving that: subsidies. Did that do anything? Yes. It definitely didn’t get Delhi to 25% EV adoption by 2024, but the city got to 8.65% EV adoption for two-wheelers and 10.1% EV adoption for four-wheelers by June 2026. It’s something, but it’s far, far away from the initial target. Purchase subsidies and tax exemptions just didn’t cut it. It makes me remember something from more than a decade on this topic. I was in Vancouver giving a presentation at a Renewable Cities conference. My presentation was focused on “The Future Is Now” and why electric vehicles and solar power would take over the market. I focused on the consumer benefits, cost trends, etc. Another presenter, a professor at a nearby university, had a different view. Based on their research, he was convinced subsidies wouldn’t be enough and strong government mandates would be needed. If we look at China, Europe, and the US, his arguments have played out quite correctly. The places that require automakers to do more get significantly higher EV adoption. China has had the most success, Europe and California have had similar success, and the United States beyond California has had very little success, like Delhi. Well, Delhi leaders seem to have figured it out. Its new EV Policy 2.0, which just went into effect on July 1, 2026, rolls in mandates. “It seeks not merely to encourage EV adoption but to fundamentally reshape Delhi’,” the esteemed Economic Times of India states. “Beginning January 1, 2027, only electric three-wheelers and N1-category commercial goods vehicles will be eligible for new registration in Delhi. From April 1, 2028, every newly registered scooter or motorcycle must be electric. Existing petrol and CNG two-wheelers will be allowed to complete their operational life, but the direction of policy is unmistakable—the era of new internal combustion engine (ICE) registrations is being gradually phased out.” Boom. That’s a statement. That’s how it’s done. The city is focusing on its air pollution crisis here, as it rightfully should. The city has a responsibility and a right to protect its citizens. When ICE vehicles are killing residents every day through their air pollution, it’s the right thing to do for the city to implement policies like this. In addition to the above, 10% of school bus fleets must become electric within two years. (That could be more ambitious, but its another positive step, and I expect the percentage could ramp up significantly after that.) The city is still offering financial incentives for buyers as well, but now they are providing extra incentives as well when old ICE vehicles are turned in to be scrapped. The following are more specifics of the program: Electric two-wheelers get a ₹30,000 subsidy in the first year, ₹20,000 in the second year, ₹10,000 in the third year. Electric three-wheelers get a ₹50,000 subsidy in the first year, ₹40,000 in the second year, ₹30,000 in the third year. N1 commercial trucks get a ₹100,000 in the first year. “Owners scrapping BS-IV or older vehicles while purchasing an EV will receive an additional incentive of ₹1 lakh for electric cars and ₹10,000 for electric two-wheelers.” “100% exemption of road tax and registration fees will be provided to all EV four-wheelers with an ex-showroom price of ₹30 lakh or less registered with the national capital,” Live Mint adds. For more info and to apply for subsidies, you can head here. The city is also putting money into developing more EV charging infrastructure in Delhi. Good luck to the city. If Delhi can quickly electrify and clean up its air, that would be a great example and message for the world. (Of course, it also needs to close coal power plants, but that’s another story….) Featured image by Ricardo Santanna