Yulu Urges Government to Retain Weight Limits to Protect Indian EV Manufacturing

Indian shared micro-mobility operator Yulu has formally raised strong objections to a draft proposal published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

The proposed amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules seek to redefine low-speed electric two-wheelers by increasing the permissible motor power ceiling from 0.34 bhp to 0.80 bhp while maintaining the maximum speed cap at 25 km/h. Crucially, the draft removes the existing 60 kg unladen vehicle weight limit, a change that Yulu warns could severely disrupt the domestic electric vehicle ecosystem.

According to RK Misra, Co-Founder and Head of Regulatory Affairs at Yulu, eliminating the weight ceiling enables foreign manufacturers, particularly Chinese exporters, to flood the Indian market with heavier electric scooters. Currently, overseas manufacturers struggle to comply with the 60 kg threshold due to complex chassis designs. Misra highlighted that many imported models bypass regulatory scrutiny during homologation by using temporary speed-limiting devices that are removed post-testing, allowing heavy two-wheelers to operate legally without proper registration, licensing, or safety compliance.

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Yulu contends that the policy shift severely disincentivises domestic OEMs that have made substantial investments in local engineering to comply with strict weight criteria. For instance, Bajaj Auto currently manufactures approximately 10,000 low-speed vehicles monthly for Yulu within India. Removing the weight cap allows heavier imported two-wheelers to operate without licence plates or mandatory helmet requirements, creating severe road safety hazards, especially when such vehicles are modified for commercial pillion transport or bike taxi services.

To protect domestic manufacturing and public safety, Yulu is urging the transport ministry to retain the 60 kg unladen weight limit and explicitly mandate a single-seater configuration for low-speed electric two-wheelers.