The Supreme Court has asked the Indian government to revisit and revamp its 2020 electric vehicle (EV) policy, signalling a firm push to fast-track the nation’s shift into cleaner mobility. A two judge bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi told the Centre it must review the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 and related EV frameworks, and propose pilot programmes in major cities.
The court’s directive comes amid a public interest litigation filed in 2019 by Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL) and others, arguing that the government’s EV-policy commitments have stalled, hampering citizens’ rights to clean air and healthy environment under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.
During the hearing, the Attorney General informed the bench that 13 ministries are currently engaged in assessing the feasibility of the EV policy and implementation mechanisms. The court observed that in the five years since the policy was framed, the EV market, infrastructure and technology have changed significantly — and thus the policy must be updated to reflect current realities.
Key issues flagged by the court include the availability and roll-out of charging infrastructure, incentives for EV adoption, mandates for public-fleet electrification and whether existing frameworks suitably address the rapidly evolving EV ecosystem. The court pointed out that a pilot rollout in metropolitan hubs such as Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru may provide a practical testbed for large-scale implementation.
By asking for a review of the 2020 policy, the court is emphasising urgency: urban air quality remains a serious concern, and internal-combustion vehicles (ICVs) continue to dominate India’s roads despite policy ambitions to flip to EVs. The judiciary appears willing to press for stronger accountability and clearer timelines. One such suggestion referenced during the hearings is targeting the luxury-vehicle sector — with phasing out of high-end petrol/diesel models flagged as a possible first step, so that mass-market transitions can follow.
For stakeholders in the auto-industry, manufacturing ecosystem, charging-network developers and state governments, this development signals that policy inertia may no longer be acceptable. The court has directed the government to submit a roadmap within four weeks, laying out how the review will proceed and how policy gaps will be addressed.
