There is a likelihood of electric vehicles becoming cheaper in the state of Maharashtra, thereby resulting in an increase in the number of green vehicle buyers.
Speaking to reporters on January 2 at the inauguration of the Mahindra bio-gas plant in Chennai, Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (independent charge) – Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, said that the state would look at not taxing electric vehicles sold in Maharashtra. This means a buyer of an electric vehicle will not have to pay value added tax, registration tax or road tax. An official confirmation of the minister’s statement is awaited from the government.
Mahindra & Mahindra, the sole electric passenger car manufacturer in the country, is sure to benefit from this decision. Its EV, the e2O, is currently priced at Rs 4.99 lakh (ex-showrom Mumbai, T2 premium variant) with sales of about 80 units per month across the country of which around 10 units are in Maharashtra.