Centre proposes extended lifespans for green vehicles by 5 years — Check draft rules

The Centre on Tuesday proposed extending the prescribed age limit for green vehicles — EVs, hydrogen-fuelled, and natural-gas-driven (CNG) vehicles — by 5 years, according to an Economic Times (ET) report.

The proposed changes are part of draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, rules published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on August 10. The government has invited objections and suggestions for 30 days.

The rules will come into force only after their final publication in the Official Gazette.

What does the draft propose?

The draft notification outlines several key amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, focusing on vehicle age extensions, electronic permits, and sweeping digitisation. Here is a detailed breakdown of the proposals:

• Five-Year Extension: The maximum age limit for battery-operated, hydrogen fuel-based, and natural gas-powered vehicles would be extended by five years.
  
  This amends rule 88(3), where national permits currently expire after 15 years for multiaxle vehicles and 12 years for other goods carriages. The draft notes the extension but does not specify the new absolute maximum permissible age for each category.
• Electronic Authorisation: National permit authorisations could be granted electronically for up to 5 years at a time, at the applicant's preference.
• Fee Structure: The fee would be set at ₹16,500 per year of the authorisation period, to be deposited directly into the national permit account.
• Digital Processing: Applications (Form 46) and authorisations (Form 47) would transition to an entirely electronic process.
• The draft also redefines the validity periods for temporary vehicle registrations:

• Expanded Scope: Eligible automotive component manufacturers would be brought within the scope of trade certificate provisions.
• Eligibility Criteria: These manufacturers must be approved by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and actively engaged in R&D to develop new automotive products.

To streamline documentation, the draft proposes several updates to existing forms and processes:

• VAHAN Integration: Application details will be automatically fetched from the VAHAN portal once a vehicle registration number or a dealership authorisation certificate is provided.
• Dealer Credentials: Revised forms would capture a dealer's GST registration number, PAN, Udyam Aadhaar, and, where applicable, Corporate Identification Number (CIN).
• Form 20 (Owner Details): Applicants must specify an Aadhaar-linked mobile number. The form would also record loan account or agreement numbers for vehicles under lease, hire-purchase, or hypothecation.
• Form 48 Updates: This form requires proof of valid registration, insurance, a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate, and a fitness certificate. It would also track the history of pending challans and details of any previously held national permits.