India is the largest democratic country in the world. The second most populated country has a growing and stable economy also. Affordable mid-range cars do have great market opportunity in the Indian automotive industry. Electric cars are not as popular in India as in European and American countries. But a few electric cars are being manufactured and sold in the Indian market. Mahindra EVerito is an electric car in India.
Why EV is not popular in India?
Most of the cars are gasoline-based vehicles. They use an internal combustion engine to convert chemical energy in fossil fuel to thermal energy and then to mechanical energy.
Electric cars are developed and sell in the Indian automotive market by many manufacturers. But the number of vehicles is less.
Electric vehicle charging stations are less in number in the cities. Public charging stations are necessary to charge electric cars when it has to travel long. Charging stations are less in number (reason may be the less number of electric cars).
Let’s see the different types of electric vehicles and how popular them in India.
#1 Electric car in India
Battery electric vehicle, hybrid electric vehicle, and plug-in hybrid vehicles are being manufactured and sold in the automotive market.
Hybrid electric vehicles are more common than battery electric vehicle. Maruti Ciaz, Toyota Prius, etc. are a few.
A few of the battery electric vehicles in India are listed below.
- Mahindra e2oPlus
- Mahindra e-Verito
- Tata Tigor Electric
- Mahindra e-KUV 100
- Tata Tiago Electric
#2 E Rickshaws in India (Surprise)
If we consider other types of electric vehicles – for example, E Rickshaws – they are highly popular in cities such as Jaipur and Delhi
Rickshaw is one of the popular vehicles in the Indian market. Most of the people in the city prefer short trips in Rickshaw than taxi car. The popularity of rickshaw itself authenticates the statement :-).
In order to reduce environmental pollution, the Government of India introduced the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020.
Electric vehicles are available at a subsidized price. E-Rickshaws get popular in short span of time in a few Indian cities. Surprisingly India surpass China in the electric vehicle adaption with E-Rickshaws!
There are more e-Rickshaws in India than battery-powered cars in China.
#3 Electric Scooter in India
Scooters are also a common vehicle in India. They are easy to use, affordable, and convenient for urban transit. I owned an electric scooter and I wrote my experiences. It’s interesting!
There is an interesting fact about electric vehicles. An electric vehicle doesn’t require insurance and registration if the power of the motor is less than 230W. So, some electric scooters have low power motor and do not require registration, and license to drive vehicle.
Conclusion
Electric vehicle market in India is focussed mainly on e-Rickshaws and electric scooters. Hybrid electric cars, electric scooter, and e-Rickshaws are being used in India. Battery electric vehicle adoption is going on at a slow pace.
Key points
- Electric cars are very slow growing in India
- More e-Rickshaws are there in India than battery-powered cars in China
- Electric scooters are there in the Indian market