New Delhi, Oct 1 : The government on Tuesday launched the PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme that has a financial outlay of Rs 10,900 crore over a period of two years.

The PM-Drive scheme was approved by the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on September 11 to promote electric mobility in the country.

Launching the ambitious scheme, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel, HD Kumaraswamy, said this is a landmark day as we transition from the FAME Scheme and the Electric Vehicle Promotion Scheme (EMPS) to the PM E-DRIVE scheme.

'On the eve of the 155th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we are contributing not only to 'Swachh Bharat' as per the clarion call of PM Modi but also to 'Swachh Vahan'. Through this initiative, we fulfil the government's promise to launch the scheme within 100 days,' said the minister.

The PM E-DRIVE scheme will play a pivotal role in accelerating EV adoption and building critical charging infrastructure nationwide, contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable future, added Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Steel, Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma.

As part of the scheme, the Ministry of Heavy Industries has introduced e-vouchers for EV customers to avail of demand incentives. The e-vouchers streamline the process of accessing incentives, providing a seamless experience for both consumers and manufacturers.

'This initiative is set to accelerate EV adoption across the country and further boost domestic innovation and manufacturing,' said Kumaraswamy.

Under the scheme, Rs 3,679 crore have been allocated for e-2Ws, e-3Ws, e-ambulances, e-trucks and emerging EVs -- supporting 24.79 lakh e-2Ws, 3.16 lakh e-3Ws and 14,028 e-buses.

Rs 500 crore have been allocated for e-ambulance deployment and the standards will be set in consultation with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Rs 4,391 crore have been allocated for procurement of 14,028 e-buses via CESL in nine major cities, and Rs 500 crore are for incentivising e-trucks, with scrapping certificates from RVSF mandatory for incentives.

The scheme has Rs 2,000 crore outlay for installing 22,100 fast chargers (e-4Ws), 1,800 for e-buses, and 48,400 for e-2Ws/3Ws in high EV penetration cities and highways.

It has Rs 780 crore outlay for upgrading government-approved test agencies to handle new EV technologies.

/IANS