Delhi’s Drive Towards Zero-Emissions Deliveries

This briefing by RMI describes the impact of the Delhi government's August 2020 EV policy and the 'Deliver Electric Delhi' pilot program. It highlights the environmental and economic benefits of electrifying final-mile delivery vehicles and outlines the policy mechanisms, such as fiscal incentives and technology-agnostic charging infrastructure, that led to a tripling of EV sales in the city.

• Electrifying final-mile delivery vehicles in Delhi can reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) emissions by more than 28 per cent, and current electric final-mile delivery vehicles emit 25 per cent less CO2 than internal combustion engine (ICE) equivalents.
• The transition to electric vehicles offers significant fuel cost savings in Delhi compared to ICE vehicles: two-wheelers save 96 per cent, three-wheelers save 69 per cent, and four-wheelers save 74 per cent.
• The Delhi government's EV policy, notified in August 2020, set a target for 25 per cent of new vehicles registered in 2024 to be electric. Following the policy and the 'Deliver Electric Delhi' pilot, EV sales in Delhi increased from 3.3 per cent to 10 per cent of new vehicle registrations in just over a year.
• To scale EV adoption, the Delhi government implemented a technology-agnostic approach to charging infrastructure, supporting both plug-in charging and battery swapping. Specific measures included a subsidy for private charging infrastructure, a dedicated tariff schedule for vehicle charging, and a public charging tender for 100 concessional locations.

APA

RMI (2022). Delhi’s Drive Towards Zero-Emissions Deliveries. https://rmi.org/resources/delhis-drive-towards-zero-emissions-deliveries/

Chicago

RMI. Delhi’s Drive Towards Zero-Emissions Deliveries. 2022. https://rmi.org/resources/delhis-drive-towards-zero-emissions-deliveries/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Delhi’s Drive Towards Zero-Emissions Deliveries |date=12 August 2022 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/delhis-drive-towards-zero-emissions-deliveries/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2022delhis, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Delhi’s Drive Towards Zero-Emissions Deliveries}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/delhis-drive-towards-zero-emissions-deliveries/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }