India Sells Over 2 Million EVs

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Final Up to date on: twenty second April 2025, 04:56 am

It has been a few years since I’ve written about electrical automobiles in India. My curiosity was piqued once more not too long ago when a buddy of mine returned from the sub-continent and declared “EVs are all over the place.” After all, the overwhelming majority have fewer than 4 wheels. I’m wondering if our preoccupation with vehicles within the West has blinded us to the rEVolution which is going on in lots of nations with the transition from petrol two- and three-wheelers to battery-powered options.

My buddy Phil tells me that in his time in India he noticed “heaps of electrical buses in New Delhi.… They’ve 8000 in service and count on one other 3000 by the tip of the yr.” These are constructed by Tata Motors Restricted — an Indian multinational automotive firm. In addition to buses, Tata produces vehicles, vehicles, and vans. Tata owns Jaguar Land Rover and Tata Daewoo in South Korea. It has a three way partnership with Stellantis, making automobile elements for Fiat-Chrysler.

Phil makes the remark that he was seeing vehicles from each EV maker, however Tesla. Hopefully that can change quickly, because it seems Tesla has the go forward to ultimately enter India and take a look at the market. Native experiences point out that Tesla is planning to open two shops (in Mumbai and New Delhi), is promoting for employees, and will presumably be partnering with Tata for the native manufacturing of some parts. Confirmed sightings of refreshed Mannequin Ys have heightened anticipation. The hearsay is that the Mannequin Y from Giga Berlin will promote for round US$25,000

Indian electrical automobiles have inexperienced quantity pates, making them simpler to identify, and Phil thinks there are as many on Indian roads as he’s used to seeing again dwelling in Australia. In accordance with information printed by the Indian Financial Occasions, electrical automotive gross sales rose 20% in 2024, leaping from 82,688 bought in 2023 to roughly 100,000 in 2024 — identical because the variety of EV models bought in Australia. The Indian market is going through the identical headwinds — shopper issues about charging infrastructure, battery life, and resale worth. A bit of historic perspective: Indian mass market BEV quantity has grown from 1,230 in 2018, to 2,019 in 2019, to 4,774 in 2020, to 14,690 in 2021, after which to 48,262 in 2022. It appears to be like just like the beginnings of the know-how uptake curve!

Petrol, diesel, and hybrid automobiles nonetheless dominate the market. Nevertheless, electrical vehicles have achieved a penetration charge of two.4% of the 4.07 million automobiles bought in India in 2024. Tata Motors and MG discounted costs in 2024 to stimulate demand. 2025 is anticipated to be a yr of serious development, with 26 new fashions coming from Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, Mahindra & Mahindra, and others. Quick charging networks ought to increase with authorities incentives obtainable.

In 2024, JSW MG Motor launched a battery rental possibility which noticed gross sales double for the “Windsor” SUV.

However what was actually beautiful was the variety of electrical two- and three-wheelers. Vahan dashboard information, gathering info from 35 out of 36 Indian states, experiences that escooter gross sales have gone from over 900,000 in 2023 to over 1.2 million in 2024. Electrical two-wheelers accounted for nearly 60% of the 2 million electrical automobiles bought there. Automobile information contains 3-wheel electrical automobiles, of which just about 700,000 had been bought, together with virtually half one million tuk tuks (3-wheel electrical rickshaws). This brings the penetration charge as much as 7.7%. Nineteen million two-wheelers bought within the Indian market in 2024.

Ola is a standout within the Indian electrical two-wheeler market, promoting over 400,000 escooters, a 50% year-on-year development to realize 35% market share.

“In India alone, electrifying many of the nation’s tens of millions of latest tuk-tuk gross sales by 2030 would save 850 million tons of predicted CO2 emissions,” in keeping with azocleantech.

Auto Pundits experiences that the variety of 4-wheel BEVs bought is shifting properly up the know-how adoption curve, however the charge of development is slowing. Tata has the most important market share at 62%, adopted by MG at 27% and Mahindra at 7%. Mahindra solely has one mannequin, which seems to be a compliance automobile designed to fulfill the CAFÉ necessities. This may change dramatically this yr.

Progress seems to be pushed by reductions and new fashions, together with the Tata Punch (finest promoting EV in 2024), Tata Curvv EV, and MG Windsor. The market is now dominated by SUVs. The highest promoting vehicles in 2024 had been the: Tata Punch (22,724), Tata Tiago (18,136), Tata Nexon (14,275), MG Comet (11,621), MG Windsor, (10,045), Mahindra XUV 400 (7881), MG ZS EV (7,213), Tata Curvve (6,512), Tata Tigor (6914), Citroen C3 (2567), Hyundai Ioniq 5 (527), and lastly the Kia EV6 (292). Let’s hope that we’ll see Tesla on that listing by the tip of 2025.

Over 26 new BEVs had been showcased on the 2025 Bharat Mobility Expo in New Delhi. There have been a mixture of EVs based mostly on skateboard designs or modified ICE platforms. Most had been SUVs ranging in value from US$20,000. They’re listed and reviewed right here.

Highlights embody the Suzuki e Vitara (additionally rebadged and bought as a Toyota), the Hyundai Ioniq 9, and two new Mahindra fashions. BYD is launching the Sea Lion 7, and MG the Cybster. VinFast is bringing its total vary to India, showcasing 6 fashions.

Not solely will a rise in EV gross sales (of any variety of wheels, buses, tuk tuks, and vehicles) profit the Indian folks with decreased air air pollution and quieter streets (as we present in our second go to to China), however it is going to cut back India’s reliance on Russian oil imports and its steadiness of commerce basically. Although, some could say, there can be a higher reliance on electrical energy generated by coal, that can lower as increasingly of India’s many photo voltaic installations come on-line.

For the populace of India, the long run is getting clearer, brighter, and electrical.