Lucknow, July 7 -- Electric vehicle registrations in Uttar Pradesh touched a new high in the April-June quarter of FY 2025-26, with 70,770 EVs availing Rs 255.50 crore in tax and fee exemptions, including over 21,000 electric two and four-wheelers. While the state pushes ahead as a national leader in EV adoption, the first-quarter performance report released by the transport department also shows revenue growth and expanding digital transactions - though questions remain over enforcement, sustainability of subsidies and service delivery gaps. According to the department, total revenue for the quarter stood at Rs 2,913.78 crore, a year-on-year increase of 10.39%. This accounts for 85.9% of the quarterly target, suggesting that the Rs 14,000 crore annual target may be achievable. Revenue in June alone was Rs 830.15 crore, up 4.1% from June 2024 - despite heavy tax waivers on EVs and disruptions from the ongoing transfer season. "The sharp rise in EV registrations is no longer driven only by low-end e-rickshaws. In this quarter alone, 5,658 electric cars and 15,434 electric two-wheelers were registered, signalling a growing preference for cleaner vehicles even among mid-segment consumers," transport commissioner VN Singh noted. With 12.29 lakh EVs registered cumulatively, he claimed U.P. was on track to become India's largest EV base. However, the pace of infrastructure creation - especially charging stations and regulatory oversight of e-rickshaws - has not kept up. A total of 1.17 lakh new transport vehicles and 9.67 lakh non-transport vehicles were registered in the quarter - increases of 16.04% and 12.41%, respectively. E-cart registrations alone shot up by 80.26%. While these numbers reflect economic activity and aspirational mobility, they also raise alarms around enforcement, especially in rural and peri-urban zones where overloading and permit violations are rarely checked. Over 90% of collections were through online modes, with Rs 84.50 crore from driving licence services and Rs 30.45 crore from e-challans and summons. While the department hails this as proof of growing digital trust, complaints persist around service delivery glitches, lack of support for rural users, and delays in grievance redressal. Singh described the Q1 results as a "model of governance where policy, technology, transparency, and citizen participation work in tandem." But senior retired transport officials said that without stronger on-ground enforcement, better road safety norms, and infrastructure for cleaner mobility, these gains could prove cosmetic....