Cleaner Commercial Vehicles Could Stay On Roads Longer
The Indian government has proposed extending the permissible age of certain commercial vehicles powered by electricity, CNG and hydrogen by five years.
The proposal is part of draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
The move is aimed at making cleaner commercial vehicles more financially viable by allowing operators to use them for a longer period and recover their higher upfront costs.
EV Age Limit Could Rise From 12 To 17 Years
Under the proposed changes, the existing age limits of 12 years and 15 years for vehicles covered under the national permit system would be extended by five years for battery-operated, hydrogen-powered and natural-gas vehicles.
That would effectively take the limits to 17 years and 20 years, respectively.
However, this is not a blanket extension for every commercial vehicle. The proposal specifically applies to vehicles covered under the relevant national permit provisions.
Why The Government Wants To Extend The Lifespan
Electric, hydrogen and CNG commercial vehicles generally involve higher upfront costs than conventional alternatives.
For fleet owners and commercial operators, a longer permitted operating life means more time to recover the initial investment.
The proposed extension could therefore improve the economics of cleaner vehicles, particularly for operators running trucks, buses and other commercial fleets over long periods.
It could also encourage businesses that have been hesitant to shift away from conventional fuels because of the higher initial purchase price.
National Permits To Become More Flexible
The draft rules also propose changing the way national permits are issued.
Instead of renewing authorisation every year, operators could choose to obtain it for up to five years at a time.
The proposed fee remains ₹16,500 per year, meaning a five-year authorisation would cost ₹82,500 if the annual rate remains unchanged.
The process would also move further online, reducing paperwork for commercial vehicle operators. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
VAHAN Portal To Handle More Information
The government is also proposing greater integration with the VAHAN database.
Vehicle and dealership information available in the system could be automatically retrieved when applications are submitted.
Applicants would then need to enter only information that is not already available in the database.
The objective is to reduce repetitive data entry, paperwork and the possibility of manual errors.
Temporary Registration Rules To Change
The draft amendments also propose changes to temporary vehicle registration.
A chassis without a body would receive temporary registration for six months.
If body fitting takes longer than six months because the chassis remains in a workshop, or because of circumstances beyond the owner’s control, the registering authority could extend the validity by 30 days at a time.
For certain fully built vehicles being converted into adapted vehicles, or vehicles being registered in a state different from the dealer’s state, temporary registration would be valid for 45 days.
More Vehicle Details To Be Digitised
The proposed changes would also require additional information to be captured in vehicle registration and permit documents.
Details such as insurance, pollution certificates, fitness certificates, pending challans and previous national permits could form part of the documentation.
The government wants more of this information to be digitally accessible, reducing the need for operators and authorities to repeatedly collect the same records.
Government Seeks Public Feedback
The changes are currently only at the draft stage.
MoRTH has invited objections and suggestions from stakeholders for 30 days before the proposed rules are considered for finalisation.
The amendments will become effective only after the final rules are notified in the Official Gazette. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
A Boost For India’s Green Transport Push
The proposal comes as India attempts to accelerate the adoption of cleaner commercial transportation.
Extending the operating life of EVs, CNG and hydrogen-powered vehicles could make them more attractive to fleet operators by spreading their acquisition costs over a longer period.
For the government, the measure could support cleaner mobility without relying exclusively on purchase incentives.
For commercial operators, the biggest benefit could simply be more years to earn back their investment.
Summary
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has proposed extending the permissible age of battery-operated, CNG and hydrogen-powered commercial vehicles by five years under the national permit system. Existing 12-year and 15-year limits could effectively become 17 and 20 years. The draft also proposes five-year national permit authorisations, greater use of the VAHAN portal, revised temporary registration rules and more digital documentation. The government has invited public feedback for 30 days before deciding whether to finalise the amendments.
