Over 77,000 EVs Registered in Bengaluru by August Despite New Lifetime Tax

More than 77,000 battery-operated vehicles were registered in Bengaluru between January and the first week of August this year, showing sustained adoption despite the Karnataka government introducing a new lifetime tax regime on electric vehicles.

According to official registration data from the Vahan dashboard, the figures recorded during the first eight months of the year are already nearing the 80,033 pure electric vehicles registered across all 12 Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) in the city throughout the previous year.

The state government implemented the Motor Vehicle Taxation (Amendment) Bill on April 1, introducing a lifetime tax on electric cars based on their purchase price. Under the revised structure, electric vehicles priced up to Rs 10 lakh attract a 5% tax, those priced between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh are taxed at 8%, and vehicles priced above Rs 25 lakh face a 10% levy. The revision marked a rollback of previous tax exemptions, under which most electric vehicles paid zero lifetime road tax, with only models priced above Rs 25 lakh taxed at 10%.

Mobility analysts stated that the tax changes have had minimal impact on overall adoption because two-wheelers continue to dominate electric vehicle sales in the city.

Vivek Gavimath, Senior Associate with the Green Mobility team at the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), said that more than 70% of EV adoption across five Bengaluru RTOs is in the e-bike and e-scooter segment, which remains exempt from road tax. He noted that the segment continues to offer favourable running costs per kilometre compared to petrol alternatives, with fuel price volatility also steering consumer decisions.

However, mobility experts highlighted that sustaining the city's transition to electric mobility will require expanding charging networks across public, semi-public, and private spaces.

Experts noted that apartment residents frequently encounter administrative hurdles, including Resident Welfare Association approvals and paperwork, when attempting to install private chargers in residential parking areas. Workplace charging also remains underdeveloped in Bengaluru, with analysts calling for supportive policies to help charge point operators expand charging infrastructure at office premises.