Goa wants to promote e-vehicles, tinkers with bike-swapping policy

In a bid to phase out petrol and diesel-driven vehicles, the Goa government is considering swapping them for e-vehicles, Power Minister Nilesh Cabral said on Thursday, even as the Power Minister also said that his ministry was also tinkering with a policy initiative which would allow existing two-wheeler owners to swap their bikes for e-bikes, which would be made available at subsidised prices.

"The Goa government has a fleet of around 550 cars, if we switch them to e-vehicles, the costing will decrease considerably," Cabral told reporters here.

The Power Minister also said that he was in touch with the Union Minister of State for Power RK Singh to extend e-technology to commercial vehicles in the state including public transport and goods carriers.

Cabral also said that his Ministry was in touch with Hero Motors -- one of the leading e-vehicle manufacturers in India to procure between 10,000 and 15,000 e-bikes, which would be offered to existing two-wheeler owners in Goa, on the condition that they phase their present vehicles.

"We are working on the model. Existing bikes can be scrapped. Hero (Motors) is also interested in tying up with us. We are looking at 10,000 to 15,000 electrical bikes in a year," Cabral said.

The e-bikes, Cabral said would be offered at rates, which were cheaper than market prices by bunching together state and central government subsidies, along with discounts offered by vehicle dealerships.

"We are also in the process of setting up charging stations across Goa to encourage e-vehicles," Cabral also said.