# CAQM Proposes 100% Zero-Emission Car Sales in Delhi-NCR by 2030 > CAQM's interim report wants every new private car sold in Delhi-NCR to be zero-emission by 2030, starting with a 20% mandate in 2027 -- but carmakers are pushing back on a BEV-only definition. - **Author**: Prakash Reddy - **Published**: 2026-10-22 - **Modified**: 2026-10-25 - **Category**: news - **URL**: https://bestev.in/news/caqm-proposes-zero-emission-car-sales-delhi-ncr-2030-20261022 --- Delhi-NCR's petrol and diesel car market has a deadline problem. In an interim report, a committee of the **Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)** has recommended that every new private four-wheeler sold in the region be zero-tailpipe-emission (ZTE) by 2030 -- with the first binding threshold arriving in 2027. The proposal, reported by ET Auto, is part of a wider plan to cut vehicular emissions across almost every vehicle category in the National Capital Region. It is still a recommendation, not a notified rule. But its direction is unambiguous, and it has already put carmakers on the back foot. ## The 2027-2030 roadmap | Calendar year | Minimum ZTE share of new private car sales in Delhi-NCR | |---|---| | 2027 | 20% | | 2028 | 45% | | 2029 | 70% | | 2030 | 100% | In plain terms: at least every fifth private car sold in Delhi-NCR in 2027 would have to be zero-emission, rising to 45% in 2028 and 70% in 2029, before a complete bar on new ICE private car sales in 2030. The mandate would apply to manufacturers selling in the region, not to individual buyers. ## What happens if a carmaker misses The report proposes monthly monitoring of each OEM, with shortfalls carried forward to the next year. A manufacturer that repeatedly misses the threshold would face "stronger restrictions on new ICE vehicle registrations/sales in the Delhi NCR region till the shortfall is addressed." That gives the regulator two levers: a rising EV quota, and the ability to choke off ICE supply for companies that fall behind. ## The fight over "zero-emission" The proposal equates ZTE with battery-electric vehicles. Carmakers say that is too narrow. Industry executives argue that the CAFE III norms notified by the Centre recognise seven technology pathways, including plug-in hybrids, strong hybrids and range-extended electric vehicles (REEVs). Those technologies are already approved for sale, and the industry wants them counted in the Delhi-NCR mandate too. There is also a practical objection to a BEV-only rule. Executives point out that CNG cars emit very low particulate matter -- the pollutant that matters most during Delhi's winter smog -- and cost far less. One estimate cited in the report puts the weighted average price of a BEV at about **2.5 times** that of a comparable CNG car. ## Charging is the other bottleneck Price is only half the problem. Nearly half the vehicles in Delhi-NCR do not have a fixed parking spot, according to the industry executives quoted in the report. For those owners, a home charger is not an option, and public charging has to replace it entirely. The report acknowledges that battery technology, charging infrastructure and vehicle economics are "improving rapidly". The question is whether they improve fast enough to support a 20% mandate from January 2027 -- less than three months away. ## Two-wheelers already have a 2028 deadline The four-wheeler mandate is not arriving in isolation. Delhi's EV Policy already sets April 1, 2028 as the date after which new ICE two-wheelers cannot be registered in the capital, and CAQM has endorsed that timeline for the wider NCR. That deadline has its own history. Two-wheeler makers warned that the near-absence of electric motorcycles in their portfolios made an EV-only rule difficult. Chandigarh offers a cautionary tale: it ran a graduated ICE two-wheeler cap from 2022, cutting registrations by 35%, then 70%, and reaching zero in 2024-25 -- before the cap was revoked because it was difficult to enforce. ## The incentives on offer Mandates are paired with purchase support for BEVs: - **Upfront incentive:** INR 1 lakh for private light motor vehicles and taxis until 2028, reducing to INR 60,000 from 2028 to 2030. - **Scrappage incentive:** an additional INR 1 lakh for scrapping an older ICE vehicle. For a buyer, that is meaningful but not transformative against a price gap that the industry puts at roughly 2.5x versus CNG. It is more likely to influence the timing of a purchase than the choice itself. ## What it means for Delhi-NCR buyers **Existing petrol and diesel cars are not being banned.** The proposal targets new sales. Nothing in the interim report suggests owners will be stopped from driving cars they already have, and the used market would continue to function. **2030 is a sales deadline, not an ownership deadline.** If you buy an ICE car in 2027, you are not buying a car that becomes illegal in 2030. You are buying one that may face a tougher resale market as the new-car mix shifts electric. **Resale values deserve more attention than usual.** A diesel SUV bought today could meet a thinner pool of buyers in the early 2030s, especially if NCR restrictions extend to older vehicles by age or emission standard. Petrol cars may hold up better, but the direction of travel is clear. **Charging access should decide more than range.** If you cannot charge at home or at work, a 400 km claimed range is less useful than it looks. Check the [charging stations](/charging-stations) around your home and office before you shortlist a model. **The interim report is not the final rule.** It will go through consultation, and the 2027 threshold could change. But the 2030 end-point has been consistent across the Delhi EV Policy and the CAQM recommendations, and carmakers are already planning product mixes around it. For buyers weighing an EV against a petrol or CNG car today, our [EV vs petrol calculator](/tools/ev-vs-petrol-calculator) gives a running-cost comparison. For models on sale now, see [electric cars](/electric-cars). ## Frequently asked questions **Will petrol and diesel cars be banned in Delhi-NCR from 2030?** The CAQM interim report proposes a ban on new ICE private car sales from 2030, not on existing vehicles. Ownership of cars already registered is not covered by the proposal. **What is the 2027 EV sales mandate?** At least 20% of new private four-wheelers sold in Delhi-NCR in calendar year 2027 would have to be zero-tailpipe-emission, rising to 45% in 2028, 70% in 2029 and 100% in 2030. **Do hybrids count as zero-emission under the proposal?** No. The CAQM report treats ZTE as battery-electric only. Carmakers are lobbying for plug-in hybrids, strong hybrids and range-extended EVs to be included, as they are under CAFE III norms. **What incentives does the report propose?** An upfront INR 1 lakh for private LMVs and taxis until 2028, INR 60,000 from 2028 to 2030, plus a INR 1 lakh scrappage incentive. --- - [More news articles](https://bestev.in/news/category/news) - [All articles](https://bestev.in/news)