The lack of subsidies has not stopped people from buying them.
Bengaluru: Sales of electric two-wheelers continue to rise in Bangalore city despite the lack of subsidies. The number of two-wheelers sold till the third week of September 2023 has surpassed the total number of electric two-wheelers sold in 2022, according to statistics from VAHAN dashboard of the Government of India.
The region with the highest sales of electric two-wheelers is the south of the city, with more than 12,000 units sold in both the years. The central and east regions saw a jump from approximately 4000 units last year to 5000 units this year. The north region sold more than 7000 electric two wheelers this year.
The dealers agree that the sales for electric two-wheelers have increased. An electric two-wheeler dealer from Jayanagar said that the sales have been better since August this year.
Chandra Prakash, who has owned an electric two-wheeler for over a year, said that he bought the vehicle after selling one of his cars. He said, “My family used to have three cars,the cost of petrol for all three was veryhigh.” He also said that his electric two-wheelers run up to 100 kilometres, which accounts for four hours of non-stop driving.
Md. Rejahaseh, a delivery boy for food services, who has been using an electric two-wheeler for a year now, said that the electric two-wheeler is lighter and faster.
Electric bikes are also available at multiple places in the city, to rent.
Mr. Shri Prakash, distinguished fellow, Transport and Urban Governance at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) said that while lower emissions from electric two-wheelers are good for sustainable development, generating electricity for charging the vehicles defeats the purpose. “The increase of two-wheelers will have lesser emission, but it would not be zero in terms of electricity generation,” he added.
He added that with the new generation taking more interest in electric vehicles, declining consumer resistance and the cost of batteries and charging coming down, the numbers of people buying them will only increase in the future.
However, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has not conducted any study on the overall impact of increased electric two-wheelers on pollution levels in the city.
