Delhi EV Policy 2026: 5,678 Incentive Applications Filed in First 83 Days, Two-Wheelers Claim 99% of the Rush

The Delhi government has received 5,678 applications for incentives under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2026 in the roughly three months since it took effect on July 1, 2026. Officials confirmed the numbers on Thursday, September 24, with data current up to September 21. Of the total, 1,664 applications have been processed and ₹4.8 crore disbursed so far across various incentive categories. Electric two-wheeler buyers account for an overwhelming 5,621 of those applications, close to 99% of the total, while 4,014 applications remain under process.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the policy's online incentive portal on July 3, 2026, giving buyers a direct route to claim their subsidy after registering a new EV. Less than three months in, the scheme has already crossed 5,600 applications. That said, processing is visibly lagging behind demand. If the backlog keeps growing at the same pace, the 71% pending share could end up being the bigger story than the headline application count.

Two-Wheelers Are Doing Nearly All the Heavy Lifting

The skew holds in the processed numbers too. Of the 1,664 applications cleared so far, 1,648 belong to two-wheeler buyers, who've collectively received ₹4.6 crore of the ₹4.8 crore disbursed. That leaves just ₹20 lakh and 16 processed applications spread across every other eligible category, including cars, e-rickshaws, e-autos and light commercial vehicles.

Officials haven't broken down per-category incentive amounts for cars or three-wheelers in this update, so we can't map exactly why four-wheeler uptake looks this thin. It could be lower awareness, longer verification timelines for higher-value claims, or simply fewer new car buyers within the window. Worth flagging as an open question rather than guessing at a cause.

Also Read: No Road Tax for EVs Under ₹30 Lakh, Delhi EV Policy 2026 Draft

How Much You Can Actually Claim

For two-wheelers, the incentive itself tapers as the policy matures:

In plain terms, buyers who apply earlier get a bigger cheque. Someone registering an electric scooter now, in the scheme's first year, can claim up to ₹30,000. The same purchase two years from now tops out at ₹10,000.

The Scrapping Incentive Nobody's Using Yet

The policy also carries a separate scrapping incentive: ₹1 lakh for owners scrapping a BS-IV-or-older car when they buy a new EV, and ₹10,000 for scrapping an old two-wheeler.

So far, only 41 buyers have claimed this benefit. Given the ₹1 lakh ceiling for cars is the single largest incentive on offer under this policy, that low number stands out. It suggests most early applicants are simply buying new EVs outright, not trading in an old BS-IV vehicle to do it.

How to Apply for the Delhi EV Incentive

Applying follows a fairly standard digital process:

• Buy an eligible EV from a registered dealer and complete registration to get your vehicle's Registration Certificate (RC).
• Apply for the incentive online within 30 days of receiving the RC.
• Upload the required documents for verification, including the RC and purchase invoice.
• Incentives are paid through Aadhaar-authenticated Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) straight to your bank account once the claim clears.

You can start your application on the state's EV portal at ev.delhi.gov.in. Keep your registration and invoice details handy, since the 30-day window is tight if you're not prepared.

Also Read: Don't Scrap Your Old Car, Convert It Into an EV, Says Delhi Govt

Should You Apply Now?

If you've bought or are planning to buy an eligible EV in Delhi, there's little reason to sit on the application. The first-year incentive rate is the highest you'll ever get under this policy, and it only shrinks from here.

Just set realistic expectations on timing. With 71% of applications still pending as of this update, plan for the incentive to land in your account weeks after your purchase, not alongside it.

Evfy's Take

This update is really the first real accountability check on a policy that spent most of 2025 and early 2026 as a draft. What stands out most isn't the headline application count. It's how lopsided the early demand is.

Two-wheelers make up 99% of applications despite cars carrying the single biggest incentive on the books, the ₹1 lakh scrapping benefit. That tells you Delhi's EV shift, at least in its first 83 days, is being driven by scooter and bike buyers reacting to price, not car owners weighing a bigger, slower-to-process subsidy.

The declining incentive structure is doing quiet work here too. Buyers who move now lock in ₹30,000, a number that halves next year and halves again the year after. That's a real reason for anyone on the fence to stop waiting.

The number to watch going forward isn't applications, it's the processing rate. A 71% backlog three months in is manageable. The same backlog six months from now, with applications still climbing, would say something very different about whether this policy can keep its promises at scale.