Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), government of India, plans to allow companies to sell electric two and three wheelers without batteries to "create an ecosystem" for clean transport, said a ministry's notification on Wednesday. EVs can be registered for use without a battery, too.
In a letter to Transport Secretaries of all the States and UTs, the ministry has clarified that vehicles without batteries can be sold and registered based on the type approval certificate issued by the test agency.
The battery, which accounts for 30-40 per cent of the total cost of a vehicle, could be provided separately by the original equipment manufacturer or the energy service provider, said the transport and highways ministry in a notification to states.
The step will make the upfront cost of the vehicles to be lower than ICE two-wheelers and three-wheelers.
The ministry further said the vehicles without batteries can be sold and registered based on the type approval certificate issued by a test agency. It said there is no need to specify the make/ type or any other details of the battery for registration.
However, the prototype of the electrical vehicle, and the battery (regular battery or the swappable battery) is required to be type approved by the test agencies specified under Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.