Why Delhi's New EV Policy Aims At Two And Three Wheelers

Delhi's newly approved EV Policy is poised to cut Delhi's air pollution significantly. The policy targets to curb pollution from vehicle categories that contribute the most to transport-related pollution. 

Two-wheelers account for 25 per cent of vehicular PM2.5 pollution, while three-wheelers contribute another 17 per cent. Together, these two categories make up 42 per cent of pollution from the transport sector, making them the largest targets for any pollution-control strategy, according to a TERI-ARAI study on PM2.5 emissions from automobiles in Delhi-NCR.

The new policy proposes to stop the registration of new petrol-powered two-wheelers from April 2028 and restrict new registration of CNG-powered three-wheelers from the end of this year.

Data from the Vahan dashboard shows that Delhi's two-wheeler market continues to be dominated by petrol vehicles. In 2025, more than 4.92 lakh petrol two-wheelers were registered in the capital, compared to around 37,000 electric two-wheelers. Even in 2026 till June, petrol vehicles account for the majority of new registrations, with over 2.54 lakh petrol two-wheelers registered so far against 25,424 EVs. Petrol-powered category consistently accounted for more than half of all new two-wheeler registrations between 2020 and 2026, highlighting why the segment remains a major focus of the policy.

The picture is quite different in the three-wheeler segment, where the transition towards electric mobility is already underway. In 2025, Delhi registered 59,543 electric three-wheelers, compared to just 8,180 CNG three-wheelers. The trend was visible even earlier, with electric registrations surpassing CNG registrations every year since 2020. In 2026, electric three-wheeler registrations stand at 8,005, nearly double the 4,237 CNG vehicles registered during the same period.

Delhi's registration data reveals two contrasting trends. The shift to electric vehicles is already underway among three-wheelers, where EV registrations now far outnumber CNG vehicles. However, the two-wheeler market remains heavily dependent on petrol, with EVs still accounting for a small fraction of new registrations. That is precisely where Delhi's new EV policy is placing its biggest bet on transforming the vehicle segment that contributes 25 per cent of transport-related PM2.5 pollution.