Electric Scooters Are More Expensive Now: Bajaj Chetak Is Dearest Again

Electric two-wheeler makers have entered the post-FAME-2 subsidy era and many have been forced to hike the asking price of their offerings. Here’s how the popular electric two-wheelers are now priced: 

Ex-showroom prices of electric two-wheelers increased after the FAME-II subsidy scheme expired on March 31, and the subsequent Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 kicked in from April 1 onwards. While both were introduced to encourage the sales of electric two-wheelers, the subsidy rate was significantly lower with EMPS 2024, the subsidy capped at ₹10,000 for all electric two-wheeler models with far more stringent localisation norms. Due to which, electric two-wheeler manufacturers including, Ather, Hero Vida and TVS had to increase the prices of its offerings. 

As for the price hike, the entry-level Ather 450S received the highest hike at ₹16,000, followed by the Bajaj Chetak Premium which registered a hike of ₹12,000. Lastly, with a ₹10,000 margin, the Ather 450X sees the third-highest hike in this list. The entry-level Ather 450X (2.9 kWh) and TVS iQube models saw the least amount of price hike at ₹3,000. 

(Also Read: Lectrix EV launches new e-scooter Sans Battery for ₹ 50,000)

Electric manufacturers like Ola, Tork Motors, and Oben have yet to update the price list for its subsequent models. Both Ola and Tork Motors were offering its products with a significant price discount in an attempt to narrow the price gap between ICE and electric models. Now with the EMPS 2024 scheme, it remains to be seen how much the prices of these models increase, which in turn will further help us gauge exactly how pricey EV two-wheelers are.