New Delhi, Feb 7 (IANS): Of 16,73,115 hybrid or electric vehicles in use in the country, Maharashta tops the list with a total 2,96,186 vehicles followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu with 2,03,592 and 1,69,006 respectively.

The Minister of State for Heavy Industries, Krishan Pal Gurjar in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Tuesday informed that in order to promote adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles in the country, the Government launched the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme since 2015, an official statement said.

Presently, Phase-II of FAME India Scheme is being implemented for a period of 5 years from April, 2019 with a total budgetary support of Rs 10,000 crore.

Besides, multiple steps have been taken by the Government for adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles in the country. The Government on May 12, 2021 approved a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for manufacturing of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) in the country in order to bring down prices of batteries in the country.

Electric Vehicles are covered under PLI scheme for Automobile and Auto Components, which was approved on September 15, 2021 with a budgetary outlay of Rs 25,938 crore for a period of five years, said the reply.

As per the information, GST on electric vehicles has been reduced from 12 per cent to 5 per cent; GST on chargers/charging stations for electric vehicles has been reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent.

The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) announced that battery-operated vehicles will be given green license plates and be exempted from permit requirements.