PM E-DRIVE

What is PM E-DRIVE?

PM E-DRIVE, PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement; is a scheme of the Ministry of Heavy Industries that reduces the purchase price of electric vehicles in India through a demand incentive paid at the point of sale. According to the Cabinet approval, the scheme carries a total outlay of Rs 10,900 crore and took effect from 1 October 2024.

PM E-DRIVE replaced the earlier FAME II and Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme approach with a broader design. It funds not only vehicle incentives but also public charging infrastructure and the upgrading of vehicle testing agencies, so that supply-side capacity keeps pace with demand.

Key objectives

• Accelerate adoption of electric vehicles by lowering the upfront purchase price for the buyer.
• Build a public charging network so range and charging access stop being the binding constraint.
• Upgrade testing agencies under the Ministry of Heavy Industries so new EV models can be homologated faster.
• Reduce vehicular emissions and fuel import dependence.

Main features

• Total outlay Rs 10,900 crore, of which Rs 3,679 crore is for demand incentives, Rs 2,000 crore for public charging stations and Rs 780 crore for testing agency upgradation.
• Incentive is deducted at the dealership, not reimbursed later to the buyer.
• Claim runs on an Aadhaar face-authenticated e-voucher generated at the time of purchase.
• The scheme is fund-limited. It closes for a category when either the terminal date arrives or the allocated funds are exhausted, whichever is earlier.

How much subsidy does PM E-DRIVE give?

The Ministry's category-wise plan targets 24,79,120 e-2 wheelers, 39,034 e-rickshaws and e-carts, 2,88,809 e-3 wheelers (L5), 3,811 e-ambulances, 5,643 e-trucks and 14,028 e-buses.

On charging infrastructure, PM E-DRIVE funds 22,100 fast chargers for e-4 wheelers, 1,800 for e-buses and 48,400 for e-2 wheelers and e-3 wheelers.

Who is eligible for PM E-DRIVE?

You can claim the incentive if:

• You are buying a new electric vehicle in an eligible category; e-2 wheeler, e-rickshaw or e-cart, e-ambulance, e-truck or e-bus: from a dealership of an OEM registered under PM E-DRIVE.
• The model is registered as eligible under the scheme by the manufacturer, with the required localisation and performance criteria met.
• You have an Aadhaar number linked to a working mobile number, so face authentication and e-voucher generation can be completed.
• For an e-truck, you hold a Certificate of Deposit from a registered vehicle scrapping facility for an internal combustion engine truck of equal or higher gross vehicle weight.

You cannot apply, and are not eligible for the incentive, if:

• You are buying a privately owned electric car: e-4 wheelers get no demand incentive under PM E-DRIVE.
• You are buying a used or already-registered electric vehicle; the incentive applies only to a new vehicle at first sale.
• You are buying in a category whose window has closed — e-3 wheelers (L5) closed to new claims from 26 December 2025.
• The allocated fund for your category is exhausted, since the scheme is fund-limited within its Rs 10,900 crore outlay.
• Aadhaar face authentication fails or the buyer refuses it, since the e-voucher cannot be generated without it.
• You are buying an e-truck without a scrapping Certificate of Deposit.

How to apply for the PM E-DRIVE subsidy

The buyer does not fill a subsidy form. The claim happens inside the purchase:

1. Choose an electric vehicle model registered under PM E-DRIVE at a dealership of a participating manufacturer, and confirm with the dealer that the incentive is still open for that category.
2. Provide your Aadhaar number and the mobile number linked to it at the dealership.
3. Complete Aadhaar face authentication at the dealership; the PM E-DRIVE portal generates an e-KYC e-voucher at the time of purchase.
4. Sign the self-declaration confirming you have not exceeded the permitted number of incentive claims in that category.
5. For an e-truck, submit the Certificate of Deposit from the registered scrapping facility for the scrapped ICE truck.
6. Check that the invoice shows the PM E-DRIVE incentive already deducted from the price you pay.
7. Download the e-voucher from the link sent to your registered mobile number and keep it with your vehicle papers.

The manufacturer then claims reimbursement from the Ministry of Heavy Industries against the e-voucher, invoice and vehicle registration. If a dealer asks you to pay the full price and "claim the subsidy later", that is not how the scheme works: raise it with the support desk.

Until when is PM E-DRIVE available?

PM E-DRIVE was approved for an initial two-year period from 1 October 2024, and the terminal dates have since been revised by category:

• e-2 wheelers, ran to 31 July 2026 under a Ministry of Heavy Industries notification dated 27 March 2026, which extended the earlier 31 March 2026 deadline; availability beyond that date depends on a fresh notification, so confirm with the dealer.
• e-rickshaws and e-carts, extended to 31 March 2028.
• e-3 wheelers (L5): closed to new claims from 26 December 2025.
• e-trucks, e-ambulances, e-buses and charging infrastructure: supported to 31 March 2028.

The Ministry has been explicit that the scheme is fund-limited. A category closes when its allocation is exhausted, even before the terminal date, so the dealer's live confirmation matters more than the published end date.

How to check whether a model qualifies

1. Open pmedrive.heavyindustries.gov.in and check the scheme dashboards for registered manufacturers and models.
2. Ask the dealer to show the model's registration under PM E-DRIVE on the portal before booking.
3. Confirm the battery capacity in kWh on the specification sheet. The incentive is calculated per kWh, so this determines your amount.
4. Compare the incentive shown on the quotation with the applicable cap for the category.

Common reasons a PM E-DRIVE claim fails

• Aadhaar face authentication failure at the dealership, usually a device or lighting issue, or an Aadhaar record needing biometric update.
• Mobile number not linked to Aadhaar, so the e-voucher link cannot be delivered.
• Model not registered under PM E-DRIVE by the manufacturer.
• Category window closed or funds exhausted for that vehicle type.
• Missing scrapping Certificate of Deposit for an e-truck purchase.
• Duplicate claim beyond the permitted limit per buyer in a category.

Help and grievance redressal

• PM E-DRIVE support: +91 9319019073, 09:45 AM to 05:45 PM on working days.
• Support page at pmedrive.heavyindustries.gov.in/support for written queries; the desk is operated by IFCI Limited on behalf of the Ministry of Heavy Industries, at IFCI Tower, 61 Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019.
• Ministry of Heavy Industries for policy-level grievances, and pgportal.gov.in for formal complaints.

No fee is payable to claim a PM E-DRIVE incentive. The subsidy is deducted from the vehicle price at the dealership, and no agent or intermediary is authorised to charge for arranging it.