Ahmedabad civic body spent ₹110 crore on fuel in 5 years, yet has no EV fleet

Despite increasing focus on electric mobility across the country, the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has failed to introduce electric vehicles into its official fleet, resulting in the consumption of nearly one crore litres of fuel and expenditure of around ₹110 crore in five years.

Officials said the civic body currently operates nearly 3,000 vehicles, including luxury cars allotted to senior officials and elected office-bearers, enforcement vans and vehicles used for field operations.

The fleet includes around 600 to 700 cars assigned to the mayor, deputy mayor, party leaders, opposition leaders, committee chairpersons, the municipal commissioner and senior administrative officers.

Luxury vehicles such as Innovas and Ertigas are commonly used by officials and office-bearers at public expense.

In addition to AMC-owned vehicles, the total fleet also includes hired vehicles and those operated by contracted agencies for services such as door-to-door collection and enforcement activities.

However, despite Ahmedabad being promoted as a ‘Smart City’, not a single fully operational electric vehicle currently forms part of the municipal administration’s official fleet, sources said.

According to officials, municipal vehicles collectively consume around 21,000 litres of petrol and diesel daily.

The issue has gained attention amid growing concerns over fuel conservation and environmental sustainability, particularly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens and institutions to reduce dependence on petrol and diesel.

Sources claimed that rising fuel expenditure has now forced civic authorities to consider reducing field visits by officials in an attempt to curb fuel consumption, a move that could affect routine civic operations and monitoring work.

While the municipal administration has not adopted EVs for official use, limited progress has been made in the public transport sector.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) currently operates around 800 buses, most of which run on compressed natural gas (CNG). Only eight electric double-decker buses are presently in operation, while another 50 electric buses are expected to be added soon.

Under the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), around 200 electric buses and 50 CNG buses are currently operateing on city roads.

Officials said the proportion of electric vehicles in Ahmedabad’s public transport system remained limited to around 20 to 25%.

In an earlier attempt to promote electric mobility, the civic body had hired 20 electric cars on contract nearly six years ago for use by assistant municipal commissioners.

The AMC reportedly paid a monthly rent of ₹21,000 per vehicle under the arrangement. However, after the contract expired in August 2025, the vehicles were parked at the central workshop in Jamalpur and have remained unused since then.