With slow progress in development of e-ambulances and hybrid ambulances under the Prime Minister Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) scheme, the Government may extend the deadline for the particular segment, so that the industry can avail some benefits under the project.

The PM E-DRIVE scheme kicked off from October 1 with a budget allocation of ₹10,900 crore, and will remain in force until March 31, 2026. For the e-Ambulances, out of the total outlay, a budget of ₹500 crore has been allocated for deployment under this scheme.

Other eligible categories under the scheme include e-2 Wheelers (e-2Ws), e-3 Wheelers (e-3Ws) including registered e-rickshaws and e-carts and L5 (cargo), e-Trucks, e-Buses, Charging infrastructure and upgradation of testing agencies.

However, the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) has not yet notified the number of e-ambulances and e-trucks to be supported (given subsidies) under the scheme.

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For instance, for other categories such as e-2Ws, it has fixed that 24,79,120 vehicles will be supported with a budget outlay of ₹1,772 crore and for e-3Ws L5, it has fixed to subsidise 2,05,392 vehicles at a cost of ₹715 crore. Similarly, for e-Buses, ₹4,391 crore fund has been kept to subsidise 14,028 vehicles.

According to sources in the MHI, only a few original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have shown interest for the e-ambulances and hybrid ambulances, but they may take time to develop such vehicles because currently the segment doesn’t exist, and it may take time to develop, get homologation and all the test parameters as per the Motor Vehicle norms too.

“We can think of extending the deadline if the requests come (from the industry). Right now there is no e-ambulances or such category in India so how can we give the incentives?…Request for extending the deadline can always come. Government cannot create the vehicles; they have to be created by the industry,” the official told businessline.

“A few companies have shown the interest that they can manufacture 70-90 kWh battery powered ambulances with around 150 kms of range and by March they can also look at launching the vehicle. But, they have not taken a final decision yet,” the official said.

“Also, the MHI and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, are still in consultations for the guidelines, and once they finalise the requirements then only details will be shared with the industry stakeholders to start the scheme,” he said.

“We have prepared a model (draft) guidelines and have sent to all the OEMs who make ambulances, and to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and the Ministry of Health. We are in consultations with all of them and have formulated our guidelines to give subsidy on both electric and hybrid ambulances…we will do consultations at one or two more levels before framing the final guidelines,” the official further said.

As per sources, only Force Motors has said they can manufacture e-ambulances and even plan to launch one by March, but other OEMs such as Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki India have said they are thinking about it.

“We are not in a hurry because as of now nobody is making e-ambulances. Right now, there is a zero manufacturing of this segment in India,” the official added.

Recently, Switch Mobility had told this newspaper that it was also exploring the e-ambulances and e-trucks segments to introduce in the market, but no timeline on the same.

“We are working on it…we will explore that market since we are in that category. We will explore it, but we will come up with products at appropriate time and when market is mature,” Mahesh Babu, Chief Executive Officer, Switch Mobility, had said.

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