The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed a five year extension to age limits for battery operated, hydrogen fuel and natural gas commercial vehicles in a draft amendment to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989. The change targets vehicles covered by Rule 88 under the national permit system and seeks to simplify permit procedures while shifting more of the process online. The draft reflects an effort to accelerate adoption of cleaner propulsion technologies in commercial transport. If finalised, the existing 12 year and 15 year limits would effectively become 17 and 20 years respectively, providing operators additional time to recover higher upfront costs associated with cleaner vehicles. NITI Aayog noted that 6,220 electric trucks were sold in 2024 and highlighted barriers such as high acquisition cost and limited financing. The extension is aimed at improving economics for fleet operators while the draft also suggests other measures to ease compliance. MoRTH has proposed flexible national permit authorisations that operators may obtain for up to five years at a time, with the annual fee remaining Rs 16,500. A five year authorisation would therefore cost Rs 82,500 and applicants will be able to complete Form 46 applications and Form 47 authorisations electronically, with electronic payment receipts accepted. The draft envisages greater use of the VAHAN database so that information in Forms 16, 46 and 48 can be auto fetched from dealer or registration records, reducing paperwork for applicants. The draft revises temporary registration so a chassis without a body gets temporary registration for six months and authorities may grant 30 day extensions for unavoidable delays. Fully built vehicles converted or registered in another state would have temporary registration valid for 45 days. Form 20 would require an Aadhaar linked mobile number and hypothecation details, while Form 48 would record registration, insurance, PUC, fitness and pending challan history. MoRTH has invited objections for 30 days after notification.