Bihar Witnesses A Jump In EV Use With Annual Registrations Crossing 1.23 Lakh

Patna: Bihar is witnessing an EV (electric vehicles) boom amid rising fuel prices and increasing inflation. Their sales in the state have risen nearly tenfold over the past five years, with annual registrations crossing 1.23 lakh in 2025.

Such rechargeable battery-run automobiles now account for nearly six per cent or over 4.83 lakh of the total 81.68 lakh vehicles registered in the state.

As per the data of the transport department, 12,400 EVs were registered in 2020. They marked a growth of 85.5 per cent in 2021 as over 23,000 such vehicles were registered. The momentum continued in 2022 when their numbers surged to 55,700.

Following the implementation of the Bihar EV policy in 2023, the registrations climbed to nearly 90,000. In 2024, the figure rose further to over 1.12 lakh, and to 1.23 lakh in 2025. During the current year (2026), around 800,000 vehicles have been registered across the state till now, of which around 68,000 are EVs, indicating that their registration is set to cross the previous year’s figures.

Their growth trajectory reflects Bihar’s changing transportation landscape and indicates a significant positive step towards environmental conservation and sustainable mobility.

Bihar could be placed among the leading EV states by 2030

State transport minister Damodar Rawat said that the increasing use of EVs in the state was a heartening development from the environmental perspective and indicated that the people were embracing them due to increasing awareness and concerns about the environment.

"This trend is extremely important for protecting the environment because it will help reduce air pollution, decrease dependence on fossil fuels, and provide future generations with a cleaner and healthier environment through the use of clean energy," he said.

The minister added that the state government was committed towards promoting electric mobility. "If the current growth rate continues, Bihar could emerge as one of the leading EV-adopting states in the country by 2030."

He also appealed to the people to actively participate in the campaign for environmentally friendly transportation.

Growth of EVs in Bihar

Government policy and incentives

The transport minister stated that Bihar has implemented the Electric Vehicle (Amendment) Policy, 2026, to encourage the adoption and use of electric vehicles. Subsidies are being provided for the purchase of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and four-wheeler EVs under the 'Environment-Friendly Transport Employment Scheme'.

Rawat added that incentives have also been introduced to develop EV charging infrastructure in public, private, and commercial establishments.

"EV charging stations are being installed rapidly in major cities such as Patna, Gaya, Muzaffarpur, and Bhagalpur. The government has set a target of establishing at least 500 charging stations across the state over the next two years," the minister added.

The growth in EVs in the country and where Bihar stands

The growth in electricity-charged, battery-operated vehicles could be judged on two parameters: total sales volume, in which states having large populations have an edge, and the penetration rate, in which smaller, compact states or geographies are at an advantage.

The entire EV market in the country is dominated by two, three and four-wheeler automobiles, though the use of buses and larger goods trucks is also picking up lately.

According to the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), Uttar Pradesh is the undisputed leader when it comes to sales volume and has been consistently accounting for over 20 per cent of total EV registration in the country. It is primarily driven by the three-wheeler vehicle segment.

Maharashtra is in second place in EV registrations, but leads in the electric car or four-wheeler segment in sales volume. It is followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, which are also major hubs for EV manufacturing.

Karnataka leads with over 5,700 recharging stations across the state, followed by Maharashtra, which has over 3,700, and Delhi with more than 1,900 recharging stations.

CEEW data also reveals that among smaller states or geographies, especially with regard to the percentage of EVs in total vehicle sales, Tripura leads with an EV penetration of over 15 per cent.

Delhi leads the metropolitan segment with over 11 per cent penetration and an overall penetration of 40 per cent in buses. Goa and Chandigarh also have high EV adoption rates because their small geography minimises range-related anxiety among buyers.

Despite the increasing use of electric vehicles, Bihar still has a long way to go to catch up with the leading states in this regard.

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