Delhi Govt Launches Whatsapp Chatbot, Invites Queries On E-Vehicles

Now that e-vehicles has become a buzzword attracting potential buyers, Delhi Government has launched a Whatsapp chatbot to answer all the queries on the mind of a curious onlooker. “Delhi government has launched a #WhatsApp chatbot for #ElectricVehicles. Find your nearest charging station, know more about electric mobility, models etc. Send a ‘hello’ at 98103 36008 and let’s collectively @SwitchDelhi,” said a Tweet by Delhi Transport Commissioner Ashish Kundra.

On July 10, random messages from the chatbot were sent across inviting a long trail of inquiries about e-vehicles. As soon as a user sends a “Hi”, the chatbot asks for preferred language of communication, and then lists five options – ‘Potential savings while switching to EV’ (EV Calculator), ‘Find the right EV for yourself’ (EV Search), ‘Charging Stations’, ‘EV Pledge’, and ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ (FAQs).

The Delhi government has put forth its Electric Vehicle Policy in August 2020 with a target to make Delhi EV capital of the country. Over 4,500 EVs are being registered each month even though overall vehicle registration has seen a fall in registration in 2020 and 2021 against the previous years because of the pandemic in Delhi. On an average, 152.5 EVs are registered on a daily basis in the Capital city. Since August 2020, when the EV policy was introduced, 50,225 EVs had been sold till May this year. This figure stands at 33.7% of the overall 1,48,854 EVs registered in Delhi so far.

Speaking to the media about the idea behind it, Kundra has been quoted as saying that they were reaching out to young people to inform them about e-cycle schemes available in the National Capital, “We want to cater to the electric vehicle community that has e-vehicles. They can find the nearest charging stations. For those who are looking to buy e-vehicles but don’t know which models to choose from or what the range is, the chatbot will answer their queries. It has its own commitment of promoting green mobility, and so they have supported the initiative,”.