World EV Day 2024: Why India Makes The World's Best EV Scooters

When it comes to electric two-wheelers, India wasn’t among the first countries to adopt this technology. The Indian two-wheeler space was dominated by legacy brands which focused on fuel efficient commuter bikes or scooters as their bread and butter offerings. The first EV offerings were small Chinese scooters which were low-speed scooters (under 25 kmph top speed) and marketed for young students as the rider didn’t require any licence. Few Indian companies also started to import them and market them but the electric two-wheeler market was very miniscule. 

However, the pivotal point was when the government announced the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in 2015 with an outlay of ₹900 crore. The FAME-I scheme was instrumental in more manufacturers entering the fray, but the real highlight was the introduction of FAME-II in 2019 which had a budget of ₹10,000 crores for subsidy. The heavy subsidy from the government meant that manufacturers could create premium electric two-wheelers and not bother about pricing. While the global brands were focusing on low speed electric scooters, Indian brands focused on addressing the needs of Indian buyers and this was the major differentiating factor in the success of Indian companies. 

Japanese and European companies were building low speed electric scooters with limited range as runabouts for city riding, whereas Indian EV brands focused on offering an alternative to petrol-powered commuters and scooters. Legacy ICE companies were risk averse and it were the startups that were bold in their approach. Ather Energy was one of the first startups to launch a premium production electric scooter and although it was very expensive, it managed to find some takers. Other startups including Okinawa, Revolt and Ola Electric soon joined the bandwagon. 

The subsidy of FAME-II and the low running cost of EVs meant that buyers started warming up and sales picked momentum post 2019. Legacy manufacturers such as TVS, Bajaj and Hero MotoCorp also introduced their own electric scooters and with subsidies all but over, only the main players survive in the premium EV segment. In fact, none of the Japanese giants are part of the Indian electric two-wheeler market and the main reason is that all their products were developed for the European market, which are not only more expensive than the Indian electric scooters, but also fail in comparison to the specs, performance and range. The Indian electric scooters are among the most sophisticated electric two-wheelers available on sale globally and the following five aspects have been very instrumental in their success.   

1. Range

Indian EV brands had their task cut out right from the very beginning as range was the biggest stumbling block for Indian buyers. Our market still doesn’t have a decent charging infra and this meant the products developed had to be an alternative to a conventional ICE scooter. Most of the Indian electric scooters have a claimed range of above or close to 100 km, which is much higher than what other major two-wheeler manufacturers. To give you an example, the Yamaha CE-10 can do 68 km, while the Honda EM1 does just 41 km.

2. Performance

The Indian scooters aren’t just frugal but they pack a punch too. The Ola S1 Pro can sprint from 0-40 kmph in 2.6 seconds and 0-60 kmph in just 4.3 seconds. Also, when it comes to top speeds, the Ola S1 Pro can achieve 120 kmph, while the Ather 450 Apex can clock 100 kmph. In comparison, the Honda EM1 can manage 45 kmph, the Yamaha Neo’s top speed is 40 kmph and that of the Vespa Elettrica is 70 kmph. 

3. Price

One aspect where Indian brands have been head and shoulders above their international rivals has been pricing. The subsidies from the government helped push startups and legacy brands to invest in setting up a proper manufacturing system and even the vendor ecosystem has played a crucial role in lowering costs further. By localising components, manufacturing parts in-house and assembling batteries, Indian EV manufacturers have been successful in delivering affordable price points while not compromising on performance or range. 

The cost factor is the biggest win for Indian two-wheeler manufacturers and this has also been a reason why Japanese brands had to rejig their India EV plans as they can’t match the pricing of Indian electric scooters. To give you an example, the Honda EM1 retails for ₹5.49 lakh, the Yamaha Neo’s will set you back by ₹3.40 lakh and the Vespa Elettrica carries a sticker price of ₹5.30-7.47 lakh in the United Kingdom. 

4. Technology

A competitively priced product doesn’t mean that one loses out on technology. On the contrary, Indian electric scooters are some of the most feature-rich electric scooters on sale globally. Few of the stand out features include TFT touchscreen, proper map navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, streaming services, hill hold, cruise control, TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring system), geo-fencing, OTA updates, reverse mode and more. 

5, Convenience & Durability

As mentioned before Indian brands looked at electric two-wheelers as a replacement to conventional scooters. This meant, the form factor was closer to that of an ICE scooter and thereby came other advantages as well. For starters, the Indian electric scooters are spacious and CAN easily accommodate two persons. Storage space has been maximised as seen on the Ather Rizta and even the Ola S1 range. The fact that these scooters need to tackle the challenging Indian roads and harsh weather conditions, they have been engineered to last. In fact, the Bajaj Chetak employs a full metal construction which is very rare for not only electric scooters but also ICE scooters globally. 

While Indian companies are garnering good sales figures domestically, it’s high time they start venturing into global markets and disrupt them. TVS and Ather have already started exporting their products, while Bajaj, Hero MotoCorp and Ola have expressed interest to commence exports. The Indian electric scooters not only offer great value, but they have the potential to redefine the EV market in Europe and Southeast Asian countries with their specs and performance.