India's road-map for electric vehicle: Opportunities and obstacles

Electric Vehicles have recently gained a lot of interest worldwide due to their futuristic approach both in terms of eco-friendly and budget-friendly mobility. India as well is pacing up its momentum towards a flourishing EV market. The electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers have already gained popularity, and one can see sales of chargeable bikes going up steadily.

The electric vehicle segment, particularly the chargeable bikes, have made good penetration in private transportation, although the passenger vehicle segment is almost far from such transition yet. With several automakers in the scene, and startups emerging with top electric bikes in India, the two-wheeler segment has witnessed significant growth. 

While India takes its leap to an electrically charged up transportation, the road ahead isn't smooth as the EV rides are. 

The challenges to overcome

Among the challenges which are still holding back the expected growth of the popularity and sales of the chargeable bikes, range anxiety and charging infrastructure pose significant challenges. 

·         Range anxiety: 

Among all the challenges that affect the sale of even the top electric bikes in India is the irrational range anxiety. The buyers are often worried about the capability of the chargeable bikes to reach their destination and are haunted by the fear 'what if the battery runs out'. The issue is, however, closely connected to misinformation about the functioning of battery-based vehicles. Thus, a more informed sales mechanism can stand as a solution to eliminating the range anxiety. 

·         Charging infrastructure:

The EV charging infrastructure in India is yet to develop a long way. Although the government has taken some initiatives to set up the charging facilities, it is still low compared to petrol pumps. The electric bike owners in India are heavily dependent upon private charging facilities. The lack of charging infrastructure is one of the primary reasons why even the top electric scooter can't gain the buyer's confidence. Although the swappable battery options offered by the manufacturers like Gemopai have been a solution, the upgrade and availability of charging infrastructure will boost sales by significant numbers. 

The roadmap ahead 

India has set a national mission for the faster adoption of electric mobility and manufacturing of electric vehicles. The amendments introduced by the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) in June 2021 to the FAME-II scheme have helped the manufacturers revive the pace, which was slowed down due to the pandemic. 

The government of India has been keen on adopting electric vehicles intending to improve the economy and the pollution crisis. Consequently, both the central and state governments have come up with incentives for buying chargeable bikes or other EVs. The roadblocks such as inadequate charging infrastructure have also been considered as the government is teaming up with EV manufacturers to set up low-cost charging stations.

Thus, if any of the top electric scooters have recently caught your attention and if you are wondering whether it is wise to buy one, you should move ahead because the future of chargeable bikes or scooters and EVs in general, is speeding up.