Srinagar’s roads remain dominated by fossil-fuel cars despite a broader push for e-mobility in Jammu and Kashmir.
Only a tiny fraction of the rapidly growing car fleet is electric, as residents face chronic power cuts, no charging infrastructure for private vehicles, high EV prices, and no state EV policy.
Experts warn this reluctance worsens traffic congestion and air pollution.
While public transport in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is gradually shifting to e-mobility, the change in cars is almost non-existent. Awareness and power cuts are mostly to blame, according to experts and local residents.
Down To Earth found very few electric cars on the roads of J&K’s summer capital and largest city of Srinagar.
Cars account for nearly one-third (33.41 per cent) of the total vehicles registered in J&K. Of the 26.65 lakh (2.665 million) vehicles registered so far, 8.90 lakh (0.89 million) are cars. While these cars running on the roads are causing traffic snarls, they are also contributing a lot to air pollution.
About 50,000 cars are being registered every year in Jammu and Kashmir. According to data from the vehicle dashboard, 44,199 cars have been registered so far in 2026. Statistics from the Department of Transport show that only 486 electric cars have been registered so far in 2026. That is, electric cars account for a little more than one per cent (1.10 per cent) of the total cars. In the years before this, this share is even lower. A total of 458 electric cars were registered in 2025, 271 in 2024, and only 166 in 2023.
According to an official of the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC), there is only 12-14 hours of power in urban areas in summer and about eight hours in winter. The condition of rural areas is even worse. This power crisis creates a major interruption in the charging of the battery. This situation is a major obstacle in the transport sector’s shift to e-mobility.
According to Mutaharra Abida Waheed Deva, a retired scientist from the Jammu and Kashmir State Pollution Control Board and currently director of the Valley Industrial Pollution Control, Environment Management and Climate Change (VIPCECC) consultancy, it is very important to switch to electric vehicles (EVs) in view of the pollution situation in the Union Territory. “But people are not interested due to a lack of awareness. They say that due to the lack of public transport, the dependence on fossil fuel cars has increased a lot. Due to the lack of electricity, people are avoiding electric cars.”
According to locals, there is no charging problem for the 100 electric buses running in Srinagar. These buses are charged at Pantha Chowk and there is no electricity problem. But this is not the case with private vehicles. Charging infrastructure for private vehicles has not been built.
According to Deva, there is no place in the city for a charging station. A JKRTC official says people may be inclined towards electric cars as the power sector improves.
Fayaz Ahmed, a scientist at the J&K State Pollution Control Committee, believes that EVs are expensive and vehicles running on diesel and petrol are cheaper. “People usually spend Rs 3-4 lakh to buy a used car. It is impossible to find an electric car in this budget. People here bring old and obsolete cars from states like Delhi at cheaper rates and get them re-registered. Compared to EV cars, these vehicles are available at 60-80 per cent cheaper price.”
Experts say that due to the lack of an EV policy so far, EVs, especially cars, are not becoming popular. Due to this, there is no financial assistance from the government on the purchase of EVs in J&K. There are also doubts in the minds of people about the suitability of electric cars for the region’s cold terrain and long distances.