Luxury carmakers ask for steady EV tax rules at Autocar Professional's EV Conclave
30 October 2026 · 2 min read · HireHo
Based on an Autocar Professional report of its India EV Conclave 2026, summarised in HireHo's own words. Summarised in our own words.
5%GST on electric vehicles
~50%combined taxes on luxury petrol and diesel cars
20-25%luxury models with electrified powertrains
8-10%mass-market models with electrified powertrains
At Autocar Professional's India EV Conclave, leaders of luxury car brands spoke about what would help electric vehicles grow in India. The main ask was stable policy.
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What was said
- Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO of Mercedes-Benz India, said the bigger threat to luxury makers is sudden changes by state and municipal authorities to tax structures. He said such changes can push rich buyers back to petrol and diesel cars.
- Mercedes-Benz backed a temporary 4-5 year tariff shield to protect domestic investment under the PLI scheme, so local assembly and supply chains can scale up.
- Jyoti Malhotra, MD of Volvo Car India, said sudden state tax changes damage credibility and complicate retail financing. She wanted multi-year policy predictability.
- BMW India's Hardeep Singh Brar said premium long-range models need NMC battery chemistry for packs above 70 kWh, to give real-world range above 500 km. BYD India's Rajeev Chauhan spoke about LFP Blade batteries and home or workplace charging.
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The tax picture
All-electric vehicles carry 5% GST, while luxury petrol and diesel models face combined central taxes and surcharges close to 50%. The report says about 20-25% of luxury offerings now have electrified powertrains, against an estimated 8-10% in the mass market.
What this means for you
- Steady EV policy supports long-term work in EV sales, charging, battery and service.
- Technicians who learn EV basics now will be ahead when more EVs reach workshops.
SourcesAutocar Professional: India EV Conclave 2026, price parity, policy continuity and power chemistryHireHo explains these reports in its own words. Figures belong to the sources above.
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