CNG trucks face phase-out in Delhi-NCR as CAQM mandates shift to electric

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has mandated a phased shift toward electric-only light goods vehicles (LGVs) across Delhi-NCR, with new petrol, diesel and CNG LGVs facing progressive registration restrictions starting January 2027.

Under Direction No. 102, issued on August 19, registration of new N1 LGVs, goods vehicles with a gross weight of up to 3.5 tonnes, powered by petrol, diesel and CNG will be restricted in Delhi from January 1, 2027, with only electric N1 LGVs eligible for registration. The restriction will extend to Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonipat, Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddha Nagar from July 1, 2027, and to the remaining NCR districts from January 1, 2028, though electric and CNG vehicles will continue to be allowed in these outer areas at that stage.

For the heavier N2 category, covering vehicles between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes, CAQM adopted a more cautious phased approach given the early stage of electric adoption in the segment. Delhi will allow only electric N2 vehicles from January 1, 2028, with the same requirement extending to NCR’s high vehicle density districts from July 1, 2028, and to the remaining NCR districts from January 1, 2029.

CAQM Member-Secretary Tanmay Kumar Pithode said the most important decision taken at the meeting was on restricting petrol and diesel LGVs, including small delivery vans and pickup trucks under 3.5 tonnes, which make up around 1.2% of Delhi’s total fleet but account for about 3.3% of total PM2.5 emissions. He said the restriction was first imposed in Delhi because many outer NCR regions do not yet have adequate bandwidth and EV infrastructure, and that the transition would therefore be undertaken in a phased manner.

The Commission noted that nine registered vehicle manufacturers currently offer 20 electric N1 models, providing sufficient product capacity for the first phase of restrictions. However, it found the N2 electric market remains nascent, with 2,744 N2 LGVs newly registered in Delhi-NCR in 2025, not a single one electric, and only four manufacturers offering a combined six electric N2 models. This gap prompted the Commission to give the N2 segment additional lead time before imposing an electric-only mandate. At the end of 2025, Delhi had around 1.06 lakh active N1 LGVs, including just 1,980 electric and 1.03 lakh CNG vehicles.

CAQM noted that while CNG vehicles emit less direct particulate pollution, their NOx emissions can lead to the formation of secondary particulate matter, and said a gradual shift away from CNG vehicles is necessary to achieve cleaner air over the long term. LGVs contribute 5.1% of PM emissions from active vehicles in Delhi, 2.3% in high vehicle density NCR districts and 3.1% across the remaining NCR areas.

The order goes significantly beyond Delhi’s own Electric Vehicle Policy notified on June 30, which had mandated only electric N1 LGVs for new registrations. The Commission also approved Direction No. 103 at the same meeting to strengthen pollution controls at the 1,200 stone-crushing units situated in and around Delhi-NCR, including dust-control requirements, video surveillance, PM2.5 and PM10 sensors, and mandatory wheel-washing facilities.

The mandate creates a significant shift for major automobile manufacturers, including Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Ashok Leyland and VE Commercial Vehicles, which have historically relied on internal combustion engine and CNG variants to serve demand in the logistics and last-mile delivery sectors.