NEW DELHI — Electric vehicle registrations are rising sharply in Surat as lower running costs, tax benefits and expanding charging infrastructure encourage more buyers to move away from gasoline and diesel vehicles, a Gujarat transport official said.
Assistant RTO Ankit Shah said demand for electric vehicles has accelerated as consumers respond to government efforts to promote clean mobility and reduce dependence on conventional fuels.
“People have greatly supported his appeal. The registration capacity of electric vehicles has increased a lot,” Shah said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for wider adoption of electric mobility.
Shah said government incentives and improved charging infrastructure have played a major role in the increase.
“The Gujarat government gives subsidies to different electric vehicles. The motor vehicle department give tax benefits to electric vehicles. In normal petrol and diesel vehicles, the tax rate is 6 per cent, in electric vehicles, the tax rate has been reduced to 1 per cent,” he said.
Dealers are also seeing stronger demand. Shagun Soni, sales manager at Cargo Group BYD Car Dealer in Surat, said concerns about rising fuel prices and global tensions have pushed more consumers to consider electric vehicles.
“War is happening in many places. Petrol and diesel prices have increased,” Soni said.
He said the dealership sold nearly 90 cars in the past three months, with 65 already delivered to customers. Soni said buyers have responded positively to the brand and added that the company’s growth in India could accelerate further once local manufacturing begins.
“The company is in expansion mode,” he said.
Consumers are also weighing global EV brands, battery technology and long-term reliability when making purchase decisions.
EV buyer Dhiraj Jha said he chose BYD after researching the company’s products and global presence online.
“The first choice was to buy an electric car which is globally established in the market,” Jha said.
He said BYD’s battery technology was a major factor in his decision, describing the company as one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers. (Source: IANS)
