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The State should make it as clear to a private owner as to a fleet operator how to convert and register an eligible vehicle.
What the RTC project shows
Telangana’s experiment with converting old diesel buses to electric power raises a question beyond public transport. If a roadworthy bus can get a second life with an electric motor and battery, can a family do the same with its petrol car or scooter? In October 2026, the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation was reported to be considering another 100 conversions alongside an ongoing programme covering about 240 buses. One converted bus had already been sent to the transport authorities for inspection and a registration certificate update. [1]
Private conversions are legal for eligible vehicles
Section 52 of the Motor Vehicles Act permits conversion to another source of energy, including batteries, subject to prescribed conditions. Rule 115D of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules requires a type-approved electric propulsion kit that meets AIS-123 Part 3. The kit’s approval must cover the vehicle concerned. Owners should obtain prior permission from the registering authority in Form 22C, use an authorised fitter and apply to endorse the conversion in the registration certificate through Form 22D. The first step is to confirm kit eligibility and obtain permission before paying a workshop. [2–4]
Why owners hesitate
The RTC can negotiate a bulk contract, charge buses at depots and estimate savings from predictable daily mileage. An individual owner has to weigh the installed price, battery warranty, replacement costs, charging access, servicing and insurance for one vehicle. A car driven occasionally may take years to recover the investment. An autorickshaw driver can lose income while waiting for fitment or inspection. Hyderabad auto drivers cited high upfront costs when an earlier retrofit push drew little interest in 2025. Gauging interest among car and two-wheeler owners across Telangana would require district-wise data by vehicle category. [5]
What Hyderabad’s auto scheme covers
Telangana’s 2026 autorickshaw scheme provides for assistance of up to ₹1.5 lakh for eligible owners in Hyderabad’s Core Urban Region Economy area. It offers a choice between converting an existing auto with an approved kit and replacing it with a new electric auto. The scheme targets 18,766 petrol and diesel autos. The State should publish how many owners have applied, how many vehicles have been converted and how much assistance has reached beneficiaries. [6]
Is the difference in access fair
There is a case for prioritising buses and high-mileage autos. They spend much of the day on the road, and cleaner public transport benefits passengers and people who live or work along busy routes. The equity question is whether someone in Karimnagar or Warangal can find out, before spending a rupee, whether their vehicle can be converted and what registration will require. Priority for public transport can coexist with straightforward access for private owners.
What every district transport office should offer
The Transport Department should publish a searchable list of approved kits by make, model and variant, along with authorised fitters, inspection points, fees and processing timelines. It should report retrofit applications, approvals and refusals separately from new EV registrations. Those figures would reveal where owners face delays and help the State judge whether targeted credit or financial assistance is warranted.
The RTC can publish what it learns from buses in regular service, including electricity use, maintenance costs and time off the road. An owner should be able to compare conversion and replacement costs, taking into account battery replacement and the vehicle’s remaining useful life. Telangana’s retrofit policy will have reached the public when every district transport office can identify an approved kit, point to an authorised fitter and tell the owner how long registration will take.
Sources
- The Hans India on the RTC retrofit programme, 27 October 2026
- Motor Vehicles Act, Section 52
- MoRTH notification G.S.R. 167(E) | AIS-123 Part 3
- Parivahan Form 22C | Parivahan Form 22D
- The Times of India on the cost of auto retrofits, 20 November 2025
- The New Indian Express on Telangana’s e-auto scheme, 28 August 2026
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