Electric vehicles (EVs) will no longer pay tolls on Maharashtra’s major expressways for the next five years, as part of the state’s push towards a green transport future.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, and Atal Setu are among the high-traffic corridors where tolls have been fully waived for EVs, according to a government resolution (GR) issued on Friday. The exemption will soon extend to all state highways under the Public Works Department (PWD), with decisions to be finalised by a steering committee headed by the Chief Secretary. The transport department will reimburse toll losses to the PWD through supplementary allocations. The policy also focuses on accelerating EV charging infrastructure. Charging points will be installed at every 25-kilometre interval along state and national highways. Existing and upcoming fuel stations are required to host at least one EV charger under a new MoU to be signed between the transport department and oil marketing companies. Additionally, all MSRTC bus stations and depots will be equipped with fast-charging units.
A senior official said development control rules will soon mandate charging infrastructure in all new residential complexes. Older housing societies will be incentivised by power utilities to retrofit charging points. Commercial establishments and government buildings must also provide EV charging facilities under the revised guidelines. The Electric Vehicle Policy 2025 has broadened its scope to include heavy vehicles such as trucks, agricultural equipment, ambulances, and solid waste carriers. The state will offer subsidies to replace diesel-fuelled heavy vehicles, which are estimated to pollute 67 times more than private cars. With the aim of demonstrating sustainable transport corridors between Mumbai-Pune and Mumbai-Nagpur, the government also plans to scale up solid waste management protocols, particularly for battery disposal. Civic corporations will be directed to earmark specific spaces for EV battery waste handling.
The state has set clear registration goals: 30% for all new vehicles, 40% for two- and three-wheelers, 30% for cars and SUVs, 50% for aggregator taxis, and 15% for private buses. By 2030, the government targets a reduction of 325 tonnes of PM2.5 and 1 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector.
