Why shift matters, Pg4

Key Highlights:

• The Delhi government's clean air strategy focuses on zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs), particularly pure Electric Vehicles (EVs), to improve air quality.
• Vehicular emissions are identified as the single largest source of PM2.5 pollution in Delhi, contributing around 23% during winter.
• Two-wheelers constitute nearly 67% of Delhi’s vehicle stock, making their rapid electrification crucial for reducing emissions.
• Three-wheelers, commercial cars, and N1 category goods vehicles are prioritized for electrification due to their high utilization and disproportionately high emissions.

Delhi ev policy.png

Detailed Insights:

• The policy references the latest report from the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which highlights vehicular emissions as a major contributor to Delhi-NCR's worsening AQI.
• A 2018 emissions inventory by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) identified transport as the biggest contributor to PM2.5 (41%) and NOx (76%) emissions.
• Older vehicles, especially those certified under pre-BS-VI norms, emit significantly higher levels of pollutants due to engine deterioration and less effective emission-control systems.
• Traffic congestion further exacerbates emissions by causing inefficient combustion and increasing vehicle-kilometres travelled.
• A 2025 study by Delhi Technological University recommended that India's vehicle scrappage policy should incorporate mileage, in addition to age, to identify highly polluting vehicles.
• A 2021 draft report by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) found two-wheelers to be the largest contributors to PM2.5, PM10, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide emissions within the transport sector.
• An earlier source apportionment study by IIT Kanpur estimated that two-wheelers contributed about a third of vehicular PM2.5 and PM10 emissions in Delhi.
• The CAQM also noted that Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from vehicles react in the atmosphere to form secondary particulate matter, which accounts for about 27% of winter PM2.5 in Delhi.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs): Vehicles that do not emit exhaust gases or other pollutants from their onboard power source.
• PM2.5: Fine particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
• Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM): A statutory body established to coordinate efforts and implement measures for air quality improvement in the National Capital Region.
• Bharat Stage (BS) Emission Standards: India's vehicular emission standards, aligned with European norms, that regulate pollutant output from internal combustion engines.
• Vehicle Scrappage Policy: A government policy aimed at phasing out older, polluting vehicles by offering incentives for their replacement with newer, cleaner ones.
• N1 category goods vehicles: Light trucks designed for the transport of goods with a gross vehicle weight not exceeding 3.5 tonnes.
• Secondary Particulate Matter: Particles formed in the atmosphere from gaseous precursors (like NOx and VOCs) through chemical reactions, rather than being directly emitted.