Mumbai, July 15 (IANS) Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expressed confidence during the inauguration of Tesla’s Experience Centre that Maharashtra will become the state with the highest Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing capacity in India.

World-renowned EV manufacturer Tesla has entered the Indian market and their first Experience Centre in India — based in Mumbai — was inaugurated by CM Fadnavis, with Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Principal Secretary/CEO Kaustubh Dhavse, and Tesla representatives also present.

CM Fadnavis said this was momentous for Maharashtra and Mumbai, as “the world’s smartest car” arrives in India, and officially starts here under Union government support.

“The Mumbai centre is not just an Experience Centre but also a delivery location, logistics and service unit. Bookings for Tesla cars have also begun here,” he remarked.

Tesla’s global bestseller, the Model Y, was launched in India on Tuesday.

According to the CM, it charges in about 15 minutes, covers up to 600 km on a single charge, produces zero emissions, and is globally acclaimed for its safety features.

CM Fadnavis said that the state government has implemented a dynamic policy to promote EVs, offering special incentives in charging infrastructure, tax exemptions, and manufacturing.

“Maharashtra will lead India’s EV industry in the near future. After Mumbai, services will expand to two more Indian cities, and in Mumbai alone four large charging hubs and 32 charging stations are being set up,” he added.

The state government introduced the EV Policy 2025 in May this year, which encourages the use of electric vehicles in the state and aims to provide financial incentives and infrastructure support to encourage a 30 per cent increase in EV adoption by 2030.

According to the policy, transport and commercial EVs can receive incentives of up to Rs 2 lakh, while electric buses can get benefits of Rs 20 lakh.

These incentives are available for a total of 25,000 four-wheelers and 1,500 buses.

The previous rule limited benefits for personal electric cars to Rs 1.75 lakh, but this new policy only covers transport and commercial vehicles.

Further, electric cars and buses won’t have to pay tolls on major expressways, including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (Atal Setu).

Moreover, EVs registered in Maharashtra will not have to pay road tax or registration fees.

The policy envisages installation of charging stations every 25 kms on state and National Highways.

Every government parking lot must have at least one EV charging station. New residential buildings must include one community charging point, while new commercial buildings should dedicate 50 per cent of their parking spaces for EV charging.

Older commercial properties must allocate 20 per cent of their parking for this purpose.

–IANS

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