Supreme Court wants government to promote EVs amid high air pollution

Amid worsening air pollution in the national capital, the Supreme Court on Thursday (November 13, 2025) observed that it may be high time to revisit the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 to promote electric vehicles and even launch a pilot project in metropolitan cities.

Appearing before a Bench headed by Justice Surya Kant, advocate Prashant Bhushan, for NGO Centre for Public Interest litigation, urged that the government ought to give incentives to encourage consumers to shift to electric-powered vehicles. He pointed out that an electric vehicle was costlier than one that runs on fossil fuel. He said the government must lead the way by transitioning entirely to electric vehicles.

Attorney-General R. Venkataramani, for the Centre, said a complete shift to electric vehicles was a major policy decision. Justice Kant said five years have gone by since NEMMP 2020.

“Now, even the policy may have to be revisited. You could start a pilot project in metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Madras [Chennai] or Bengaluru,” Justice Kant mooted, listing the case after four weeks.

The petitioner-NGO had sought the timely implementation of the Electric Vehicle Policy and Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid & Electric Vehicles India scheme.

In a February 2020 hearing in the case, the apex court had observed that the problem of vehicular pollution largely pertained to the fuel used in vehicles, which impacted not only Delhi but also the entire country.

In a related development, Supreme Court judge Justice P.S. Narasimha, heading another Bench on Thursday (November 13, 2025), asked lawyers to appear virtually in court. Justice Narasimha advised lawyers to take into consideration the worsening pollution in the national capital and not appear physically in court. The judge said masks may not be enough to avoid a health risk from the toxicity in the air.