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E-MOBILITY
Electric three-wheelers: Leading the electrification race in India Three-wheelers hold a unique position in the Indian public transport system. Apart from consumer demand, other factors driving e-3Ws sales include supportive policies by the Central and State governments, lower operational cost, and emergence of viable business models.
Rickshaws plying on a busy street in Delhi, India. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
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f we look at EV sales in India, you will notice, electrification of vehicles has chiefly taken place in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segment. A total of 380,000 EVs were sold in India between 2019-20 (India Electric Vehicles Overview Report 2020-27 - Customized Energy Solution) and a bulk of these i.e., 224,800 comprised e-3Ws, followed by 152,000 e-2Ws and 3,000 e-4Ws. “In India’s paradigm shift towards EVs, e-3W will play a vital role as it addresses the crucial segment of last- and first-mile commute and even deliveries,” said Mahesh Babu, MD & CEO at Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd. Mahindra Electric is a market leader in the e-3W market for
FY 2019-20, as per IESA’s Ranking of Energy Storage and EV companies for 2020. Mr. Babu highlighted India requires a “multi-modal approach to electric mobility” and e-3Ws will lead the country’s EV adoption race.
E-3W market in India
Three wheelers hold a unique position in the Indian public transport system. The low-cost mode of transport offers not only greater affordability but also maneuverability on congested Indian streets, making it a popular choice among commuters. Besides the growing consumer demand, other critical factors driving the sales of e-3Ws include ambitious policy announcements by
| November-December 2020
the Central and State governments, lower operational cost for the drivers and emergence of viable business models (such as battery swapping). The e-3W market in India has two variants: e-rickshaws and e-autos. Currently, low-speed (up to 25 kmph and motor size below 2kW) e-rickshaws powered by conventional lead-acid batteries dominate the market. Several small, unorganized players operate in this segment accounting for nearly 60-80 percent of the market share. As per the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) there are 600+ registered players operating in this segment, and together, these players sell approximately 10,000 - 12,000 units of ICAT approved
