From January 2024, all new tourist cars, as well as cabs and motorbikes available for rent in Goa, will be required to be electric vehicles, according to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. The Goa administration has proposed big reforms to boost EVs in the coastal state, Sawant said at an NITI Aayog side event during India’s G20 Presidency’s fourth Energy Transitions Working Group meeting in Panaji. Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, was also present at the side event. According to Sawant, Goa ranks fourth in India in terms of the percentage of electric vehicles (EVs) acquired in any state.
He stated that beginning in January of next year, all new tourist cars, taxis, and motorcycles available for rent must be electric vehicles. He also stated that beginning in January 2024, all new vehicles purchased by the government must be electric vehicles. “Permit holders with multiple tourist taxis, rent-a-bike, and rent-a-cab (service) operators will also be required to retrofit 30% of their fleet to electric vehicles by June 2024,” Sawant added.
According to him, Goa has 4.5 times the national average for per capita vehicle ownership. In terms of vehicle density, Goa is ranked 15th in the world. As a worldwide tourism hotspot, more than 85 lakh tourists visit Goa each year, he said, compared to the state’s population of 15 lakh. According to Sawant, the Goa government has offered financial support for 1,679 electric vehicles totaling Rs 122 million (Rs 12.2 crore) under a plan. “Since the scheme’s implementation, the percentage sale of vehicles has increased exponentially from 0.2 percent to 9.4 percent in 2022-23,” he said.
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