Maharashtra Govt Rolls Out E-Mobility Programme; Signs MoU with EESL
--EESL to lease out electric vehicles,
and install chargers in Maharashtra government offices
Mumbai, May 31st, 2018: Energy Efficiency Services
Limited (EESL), a Super Energy Service Company (ESCO) under the administrative
control of Ministry of Power, Govt of India, today signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with the General Administration Department (GAD),
Government of Maharashtra to lease out electric vehicles and install EV
chargers in state government offices. The
vehicles would be provided under the Government of Maharashtra’s Electric
Vehicle and Related Infrastructure Policy – 2018.
The MoU
was signed in the presence of Shri Devendra Fadnavis, Hon’ble Chief Minister,
Government of Maharashtra; Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Union Minister of
Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Shri Diwakar Raote, Hon’ble Minister
for Transport, Government of Maharashtra; Shri Erik Solheim; Executive
Director, United Nations Environment Programme and Shri Saurabh Kumar, Managing
Director, EESL.
Marking
the commencement of e-mobility era in Maharashtra, Shri Devendra Fadnavis flagged
off the first set of 20 EVs at the Gateway of India in Mumbai.
The Government of Maharashtra announced its Electric
Vehicle and Related Infrastructure Policy – 2018 with a vision to establish the state as a globally
competitive destination for electric vehicles and component manufacturing while
simultaneously promoting their wide-spread adoption. The MoU between EESL and Maharashtra
will support the state government’s vision of generating investment worth Rs
25,000 crore in EV and component manufacturing, assembly enterprises and charging
equipment manufacturing. The policy also entails increasing the number of
registered EVs in the state to 5 lakh and creation of one lakh jobs.
Speaking
on the occasion, Shri Devendra Fadnavis,
Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra, said, “Today, Maharashtra embarks on the path of
e-mobility marking an important milestone in its trajectory of growth. Through
this MoU with EESL, we are ushering in an era of clean, green and
future-oriented technologies in the state. The EV programme will enable sustainable
transport and further enhance our state’s stature as a favoured economic
destination.”
“E-mobility is the future of our cities.
Maharashtra’s leadership in promoting electric vehicles is a big step towards
cities that can breathe, and where innovation thrives!”, said
Erik Solheim, Executive Director, UN Environment.
Shri Saurabh Kumar, Managing Director,
EESL, said, “It is our
endeavour to contribute to the Indian Government’s e-mobility mission. Maharashtra
is among the top contributors to the Indian economy and its transition to
e-mobility will have a positive effect on national goals related to climate and
sustainable growth. Under this MoU, we will provide EVs to state government
offices and install charging equipment enabling a smooth and sustainable transition
to a future-oriented mobility solution. We are pleased to forge this
significant partnership with Maharashtra and look forward to collaborating with
other states as well. EESL is confident of successfully implementing its e-mobility
programme across the nation continuing its winning streak of transforming markets
with innovative business models and advanced technologies.”
Earlier
this year, the Government of India launched the National E-Mobility Programme
to provide an impetus to the entire e-mobility ecosystem including vehicle
manufacturers, charging infrastructure companies, fleet operators, service
providers, etc. EESL is aggregating demand by procuring electric vehicles in
bulk to leverage economies of scale. These electric vehicles will replace the
existing fleet of petrol and diesel vehicles of the Central and State
Governments.
EESL plans to leverage efficiencies
of scale and drive down costs through its innovative business model while
supporting local manufacturing facilities, gaining technical competencies for
the long-term growth of the EV industry and enabling Indian EV manufacturers to
emerge as major global players.
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