India's Electric Two-Wheeler Market: Rise, Reset and What Comes Next

(micromobility.io)

67 points by prabinjoel28 days ago

11 comments

danans23 days ago
For me, the more exciting phenomenon is the electric 3 wheeler, AKA the electric auto-rikshaw/tuk-tuk.Hired 3 wheelers are the primary affordable last-mile option in cities big and small in Asia when you don't have or can't drive a car or 2-wheeler (school children, the elderly, or anyone who doesn't want to deal with the insane traffic). They tend to have 2-stroke engines, a huge source of local air pollution.But there are increasingly electric versions these days. I asked one e-rickshaw driver whether he saves money by driving it, and he said yes, but also it's a lot more comfortable for both him and his customers vs the vibrations of the 2 stroke petrol engine.His only concern was the depreciation and it's effect on resale value.
- unmole23 days ago
 > They tend to have 2-stroke enginesWhere in Asia are 2-stroke engines for still common?
 - danans23 days ago
 I shouldn't have used the word "tend", but there are still many 2-stroke auto-rickshaws in India. I saw (and smelled) them a year ago. That said, I know many cities in India have banned them, and they are not in production anymore.Having been in an electric rickshaw, I will take them over a combustion one (2 or 4-stroke) if I have a choice. I hope that the economics in India reach the tipping point where they are the obvious choice for rickshaw drivers.
quietthrow23 days ago
Curious how this impact air pollution? My understanding is that the largest contributor of air pollution in cities is vehicles. And if predominantly the vehicles are cars and 2 wheelers and of that the higher percentage is 2 wheelers and if those are changing from petrol to electric then it should make a dent in pollution. As such air pollution could be a proxy of how e-2w benefit the country…
- another_twist23 days ago
 The most talked about air pollution story in India is Delhi. If you live in India you probably know that the major contributor there is not vehicle smoke but smoke from burning stubbles from nearby agricultural fields. It doesnt happen in other countries with similar agricultural output since stubble finds more profitable avenues eg fodder for livestock. In India, the most profitable thing to do with stubble is to burn it and prepare quickly for the next sowing season.This is to say that the EV transition wont put a major dent in Delhi's annual air pollution story.For the other cities, it will have the same impact as anywhere else. Eg when Paris banned or limited vehicle traffic, the air quality improves substantially (BBC had a few before / after pics). Given that India is densely packed, an EV transition should improve air quality markedly atleast in major cities. It wont do anything for other sorts of pollution such as water pollution in the Yamuna but that will take time since these days even London can't keep shit out of the Thames.
- rob7423 days ago
 Not only air pollution - if I think about the two-stroke engines that typically power cheap two-wheel vehicles, noise pollution also comes to mind...
 - colechristensen23 days ago
 2 stroke engines on new vehicles were banned in India 20 years ago and there have also been some restrictions on re-registering old 2 stroke vehicles as wellyou're not wrong they just solved that part of the problem already
 - carlosjobim23 days ago
 Even the smallest motorcycles are four-stroke, unless we're talking about hobbyist stuff like dirt bikes.
 - prmoustache23 days ago
 Well let's face it, not on the same level but even four-stroke tend to annoyingly noise, saying this as an owner. A screaming 2 stroke engine is super annoying but the bass of say, a Yamaha T-Max is also super annoying and will transmit accross walls even better. And so many people run noisy aftermarket exhausts.
 - unregistereddev23 days ago
 This is true in the USA where motorcycles are expensive toys. When I visit India, most motorcycles on the road seem to be very quiet in comparison. The constant sound of horns is more annoying than the engine noise.
- whateverboat23 days ago
 Yes. This has long being the case. Cities with national monuments used to enforce "only eletrical taxis" rule near the monuments to protect them from pollution and this was successful.
- foobarian23 days ago
 I imagine if the 2-wheelers have those awful 2-cycle engines this would be a slam dunk
spaceman_202023 days ago
Price seems to be a pretty big factor, as well as the lack of any charging infrastructure. There’s also the fact that a lot of scooter owning families don’t have dedicated parking spaces in/outside their homes - not even enough to put up a charging pointThe other problem is that the pricing for any decent eScooter starts hitting the same price range as a mid-range (for India) bikeThe Ola S1 Pro has the same price as Bajaj NS200.In the Indian context, bikes have way more street appeal. Even a cursory glance would tell you that the Bajaj NS200 looks way cooler than Ola S1.So at that price range, a consumer essentially has to decide between a cool 150-200cc motorcycle from a trusted manufacturer, or a rather uncool electric scooter from a brand new manufacturer with reports of unreliability, poor charging infrastructure and unknown long term longevity
- alephnerd23 days ago
 > same price range as a mid-range (for India) bikeOr a used Maruti Suzuki.My relatives from small town India all decided to buy 1-2L used cars instead of an EV Bike when upgrading. The issue is consumers are aspirational, and a two-wheeler just isn't viewed as a positive anymore, as DyCM DK Shivakumar crassly pointed out [0]That said, I am optimistic about the prospect of EV cars in small town India in the next 5-10 years, as the dealerships also function as EV charge points, and distances traveled are much lower so range anxiety isn't as significant.[0] - <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/dk-shivakumar-to-mass-transport-fans-public-transport-is-fine-but-try-finding-a-bride-without-owing-a-car/articleshow/124879989.cms" rel="nofollow">https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/dk-shivak...</a>
 - porridgeraisin23 days ago
 Tier ? cities like Coimbatore already have great EV penetration compared to the metros. Due to better charging infra, and low 4W penetration. Basically low penetration overall. Of course. Taxis stick to the CNG Dzire, so maruti will always appear really high in market share numbers. And they have the aspirational SUV owner covered too with Ertiga (7 seater for 9L).
 - alephnerd23 days ago
 Oh yea cities that are Coimbatore, Nagpur, or Ludhiana tier have already seen a boom in car (EV or Gas) sales, but the main market being targeted now is small towns (think Palani, Satara, or Kurkushetra type urban settlements).Basically, if a Domino's, KFC, Chaayos, Reliance SMART, or Motilal Oswal can operate in that district, it has become a target market for consumers, and most dealflow is now trying to find opportunities to enter that market (eg. Lahori Zeera).
 - graemep23 days ago
 Its not just aspirations. Cars are safer and a lot more comfortable - especially air-conditioned cars in a hot climate.
 - alephnerd23 days ago
 While safety does play a role, it isn't the primary driver of decisions.For example, if consumers were truly worried about safety, most consumers wouldn't drive without seatbelts or car seats for minors.Across Asia - be it India, Vietnam, China, or Korea - traditional norms remain strong, and not being able to even afford a $4-6k car bodes poorly on your earning power and thus your marriageability given that traditional status milestones like a 2LDK, kids educated at private school, destination tourism, and higher education abroad are difficult if you cannot afford that.
 - graemep23 days ago
 All that is true, but I was not claiming it is the primary driver, but that safety and comfort mattered too.With seatbelts I think the biggest problem is most people simply do not understand how much safer you are if you wear seatbelts - people who will pay a premium for a "safer" car and not wear seatbelts.I as not familiar with the term 2LDK. it seems to be a Japanese term for a two bed flat? The places I know are less crowded and the equivalent would be a house or somewhere a lot bigger (at least for anyone who could afford higher education abroad).
 alephnerd23 days ago
 > All that is true, but I was not claiming it is the primary driver, but that safety and comfort mattered too.Absolutely! Though comfort would be rated much higher than safety.> I as not familiar with the term 2LDK. it seems to be a Japanese term for a two bed flat? The places I know are less crowded and the equivalent would be a house or somewhere a lot bigger (at least for anyone who could afford higher education abroad).In India and Vietnam, a 2 or 3 bedroom flat/condo would often be part of a gated community/society that includes 24/7 security, park/greenspace, gym, swimming pool, playgrounds, and schools, and would have a mall across the street that includes a mix of Western (eg. McD, Starbucks, Levi's) and domestic (eg. Chaayos, Third Wave, VinFast) aspirational brands.A good example would probably be this gated community/society [0] in a Tier 3 industrial town called Bhiwadi - most residents would be working as Mechanical, Automotive, Chemical, Electronics, Tooling, Semiconductor, and Automation Engineers or Managers at companies like Honda, Tata, Saint-Gobain, Lumax, Maruti Suzuki, Motherson, or Sahasra with a take-home in the $8-20k range (and with 0% income tax below $13k). This is the Indian (and Vietnamese) Dream.Most of the residents will have studied in regional engineering colleges and polytechnics and then started off as trainees, and have close familial roots in the region, as regional mobility in India is extremely low [1], and as such factories have decided to move to small towns and Tier 2/3/4 cities in order to be closer to labor. You this all over India like in Mysore with DigiLens [2], Anantapuram with Hyundai-Kia [3] Baddi with AstraZeneca [4], and others. Even in my ancestral village, there has been a wind turbine factory operating since the mid-2000s that exports to the US and Western Europe, and a home-turned-EV battery factory operating since the early 2010s that exports to ASEAN.In Vietnam it's the same story except labor moves away from small towns to megacities because in much of VN, the rural safety net (derisively called "freebies" in India) is weak-to-nonexistent pushing labor migration away from small towns to Saigon, Hanoi, and Haiphong.Finally, at $10-20k/year, international education isn't that expensive - at that income you can get a loan term for US$20k-25k/yr, which is what international tuition (including dorm fees) tend to cost in the UK, Australia, and Canada - people in the Tier 2 and below middle class don't know the difference between Oxford and Oxford Brookes, and crap tier universities in the Commonwealth take advantage of that (eg. Oxford Brookes and RMIT), pissing off domestic students and leading to the immigration backlash and pissing off Indians and Vietnamese who are starting to view British and Australian services as an inferior good. The same thing happened in China a decade ago as well.[0] - <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=krPLXO38ZxY" rel="nofollow">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=krPLXO38ZxY</a>[1] - <a href="https://voxdev.org/topic/migration-urbanisation/why-labour-mobility-india-so-low" rel="nofollow">https://voxdev.org/topic/migration-urbanisation/why-labour-m...</a>[2] - <a href="https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20251003VL202/xr-optics-kaynes-technology-supply-chain-india.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20251003VL202/xr-optics-kayn...</a>[3] - <a href="https://www.kia.com/in/discover-kia/kia-in-india/india-plant.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.kia.com/in/discover-kia/kia-in-india/india-plant...</a>[4] - <a href="https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2010/AstraZeneca-Extends-Branded-Generics-Capability-With-Torrent-Agreement-11032010.html#" rel="nofollow">https://www.astrazeneca.com/media-centre/press-releases/2010...</a>
 graemep22 days ago
 Thanks, that is really interesting. I know Sri Lanka well but the people I know/have known over the years in other Asian countries are not a good sample. For one thing they are mostly people I met in the UK (mostly in London at that).I have seen people not fully understanding the differences in quality of British universities and the less good universities do make use of it. Its not entirely successful - Oxford is able to charge £60k a year in tuition fees for computer science, whereas Oxford Brookes charges £17k and I think that reflects people knowing its not worth paying the former for the latter.The UK can also be quite an expensive place to live so the total cost can be quite a bit more. Some subjects can be a lot more expensive, especially at the better universities.I do not think the immigration backlash in the UK has much to do with students as its almost entirely focused on illegal immigrants and very little is coming from students who tend to be liberal on immigration.> The same thing happened in China a decade ago as well.A lot of Chinese students still coming here. That may just reflect the huge numbers studying abroad.I also think many people study abroad and miss the opportunity to get to know another culture - a lot stick to mostly socialising with people from their home country.> Absolutely! Though comfort would be rated much higher than safety.Yes, I can see that would be true! Safety can also be an excuse for buying a more expensive car without admitting your motive is prestige!
 - idiotsecant23 days ago
 It seems like this is going to be an infrastructure uh oh situation when enough consumers manage to get cars.
 - alephnerd23 days ago
 That's why the Indian government has started subsidizing EV bus procurement along with co-financing metro and light rail expansion projects. Most Tier 2/3 cities have Metro, Light Rail, or BRTS projects that are either active, under development, or in the midst of financing.
 - spaceman_202022 days ago
 I don't really think India has much of a road infrastructure quantity problem. Its more of a quality and management problem
prmoustache23 days ago
Main issue is having a parking space with a charger and/or having to pay for it, and price of the new e-motorcycles.Charging on the side of the road is a no go with motorcycles. I can fill my tank in a few seconds, I wouldn't want to wait more. Until I had a way to charge in an indoor space the only e-motorcycle I considered was the Silence S02 which has a removable battery that you can move as a trolley luggage. But it is still heavy, if you have stairs to climb which was my case until very recently: game over.I looked at the market to replace my motorcycle, a 300cc scooter, now that I have an indoor parking space where I could in theory install a charger. Most japanese brands are very timid, honda only produces a 50cc equivalent. BMW and Kawasaki are expensive as is Zero motorcycle. To my knowledge Suzuki or Yamaha do not produce any.The rest are mostly chinese brands and many of them are using pretty much scaled up e-bicycle technology with motor in the hub and more importantly zero reliability/service record. And you pay the price of a 125 to get the performance and size of a 50cc moped.So basically you have the choice between trusted brands and reliable gas powered bikes or do a leap of faith with no insurance that it won't be a shitshow like the aliexpress/amazon e-bike batteries that randomly catch fire. On paper electric stuff should be more reliable but well maintained 125cc bikes tend to be rock solid.
- jillesvangurp23 days ago
 The reason why there are now quite a lot of these things in India (and all over Asia) is that the challenges you cite are in practice not that big of a deal:- for most people these things are transportation tools, not toys. Performance doesn't really matter all that much. In a big Indian city, the maximum speed is determined by the highly congested traffic, not the performance of the ebike. Going fast is fun but not that essential.- Many people primarily charge at home, inside their home if needed or remove the battery and charge that inside.- Unless you drive more than 40/50km, the charge is generally good enough for a full day. And for more intensive use, there are bikes with bigger batteries. Or you can swap in a spare battery.- If it's not enough for the day, you can charge anywhere there is a wall socket. Unlike cars, people don't tend to use specialized chargers for ebikes. That's pretty much anywhere. You might have to pay for the privilege in some places. But plug it in during your lunch break or whenever you have a gap and you are good to go probably.- We're talking about less than half a kwh for most ebikes for a full charge. It's not going to break the bank. Charging is really, really cheap.- Fuel is not cheap. A large part of Asia is still on incomes where that price difference matters; even though especially India has a rather large middle and upper class as well these days. The cost aspect really matters.Those cheap bikes you are complaining about: they are really cheap. And they kind of work. That's why people are buying these things by the millions now.
- bluebarbet23 days ago
 Among all these various factors, not once do you mention the wellbeing of other people. It is not hyperbole to observe that combustion scooters are a scourge on the physical health and mental sanity of a billion Indians.
 - troyvit23 days ago
 I got to bike around Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, in India in 2017, well before this revolution. When you look at it from an outsider's perspective it looks like chaos and I went in with my typical American mindset, hustling my way through the throngs of bikes, pedestrians, mopeds, autos, dogs, and cows.Once I fell into the natural flow of the system the experience was much more smooth. There's an organic cadence that reminded me of red blood cells bumping around inside capillaries.I wonder how the spike in e2W use has affected that cadence.
 - bluebarbet23 days ago
 With respect, this feels to me like romantic paternalism. As a cosseted European I spent two months crossing India a couple of years back. I travelled only by train, bus and on foot. No taxis at all, even rickshaws I mostly avoided. I experienced urban India much as average Indians experience it. Well, two months was more than enough.
 - troyvit23 days ago
 I definitely didn't mean for it to come across like that, but that's how it impacted you, so there's something to what you said that I'll think about. What was your take on urban travel in India then?
 - devsda23 days ago
 Nothing much to be honest.The occasional idiot who would zoom past everyone dangerously on their new powerful and expensive toy is replaced by the idiot who loves to show off the new found torque on their ev bike.The only difference is before you would've heard the idiot sneaking up. Now, its a lot more silent and dangerous.
 - lotsofpulp23 days ago
 Probably 1 billion+ people in India have to prioritize their own (and their kids') well being, such as securing shelter, food, clean water, and safe transportation.It's a luxury to be able to think about others' well being, especially for something with very slow, long term effects. It's a luxury to even be able to think about your own well being for things that have slow, long term effects.
 - erikerikson23 days ago
 Not a luxury, a wisdom. Often the biggest shackles are our minds.
 - RationPhantoms23 days ago
 While I agree, that's a present devil meaning that it's already an accepted way of life. I'm curious how Gogoro's model of swapping batteries would fair in the denser Indian markets.
 - alephnerd23 days ago
 Depends region to region.Once outside Tier 1 cities, density significantly reduces. Additionally, the Indian consumer is aspirational, and if forced to purchase a new vehicle would prefer a used car over a new 2-wheeler.Anecdotally, in my ancestral village, my relatives preferred buying a used Maruti Suzuki for 1 Lakh (roughly $1k) instead of spending the equivalent amount on a new bike.In the Vietnamese side of my family, everyone is ignoring the recent diktat to upgrade to electronic motorbikes for the same reason (why spend almost a year's income to purchase a vehicle when inflation for daily staples has been high)I feel there is an opportunity for EV cars, but they face stiff competition from Kei/900-1100cc cars that cost around $4k-8k.
 - prmoustache23 days ago
 Sadly the wellbeing of other people is rarely a factor people take into account.
- yorwba23 days ago
 I've seen someone in China charge using a cable dangling out a window, so I think charging infrastructure doesn't necessarily have to be an issue if you're willing to settle for the minimum viable option.
 - prmoustache23 days ago
 I've seen that in France as well but honestly this is not applicable if you live in an appartment in a multistory building.
- devsda23 days ago
 > Main issue is having a parking space with a charger and/or having to pay for itAgree. New apartments in metros are coming up with shared charging spaces but the supposed cost benefit of owning ev is offset by high prices at these chargers. Also as ev adoption grows, you are only looking at more competition in the future for these limited charging slots. Builders for logistical reasons or out of just pure greed are really not keen on allowing installation of charging points at own parking spots.This seems to be one of the main challenges to overcome even for those who are willing to adopt an ev vehicle.
- bschwindHN23 days ago
 > Most japanese brands are very timid, honda only produces a 50cc equivalent.I believe Honda's CUV-e is 125cc equivalent. They plan to release more electric mopeds / motorcycles in the coming years too, from what I've read. I can try to find sources if you want.
- perilunar23 days ago
 Re charging, the Gogoro “swap and go” battery charging network looks really cool. You can swap the battery over in seconds. No need for a charger at home.<a href="https://www.gogoro.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.gogoro.com/</a>
joenot44323 days ago
Range is frequently noted as a limitation for these vehicles, which is understandable.In NYC there's a (somewhat informal) swapping economy where riders exchange their dead battery for a charged one. There are city run programs and under-the-table ones which are cheaper and less guaranteed. This is how people will do 12h DoorDash shifts without stopping to charge.I think it's a pretty interesting idea.
- fwipsy23 days ago
 Do you know where I can read more about the battery swapping program? I knew china had some sort of program for EVs but this is news to me.
 - joenot44323 days ago
 These[1] are the "official" ones which are actually just in the midst of rollout.The informal ones don't seem to have much web presence, IIRC they were mostly setup in and around the e-bike shops in lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.Running the same setup with EVs is a fascinating angle![1] <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2025/install-public-e-bike-battery-swapping-network-citywide.shtml" rel="nofollow">https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2025/install-public-e-bi...</a>
 - polshaw23 days ago
 FWIW Taiwan has had an e-scooter battery swap system for a decade; Gogoro
 - akmittal23 days ago
 Honda and few other have launched swapable battery vehicles in India too
- hacker_8823 days ago
 Gogoro might be useful
sidkshatriya23 days ago
Anybody own an electric Two-Wheeler ? What has your experience been ? Pros and Cons ?
- 2Gkashmiri23 days ago
 Yep. Bought first one in 2019. Hero electric. Unon-registration one. Brilliant.In 2023 bought one cheap lead acid battery one for ₹40k. Best cheap decision ever. Takes me around the city. Replaced batteries last month for ₹13k.I went with cheap ones because they are Low tech. Its simpler to service. Simpler to fix and diy.My daily run is around 10km so i don't care for anything mileage. In cities, its perfect, even the heavy duty tech loaded ones.
 - throwawaygod23 days ago
 model name?
 - 2Gkashmiri23 days ago
 No idea. Current one is named raymotoss R1
 - throwawaygod22 days ago
 How is it holding up?
 2Gkashmiri22 days ago
 uh... its fine. after 2 years i had to replace battery like i said and parts like the occasional burnt connector, cables, body is somewhat fragile but when my daily running cost is 0, these are small things. i could use my car for my office runs but then it would cost me like inr 6-8k monthly in fuel+parking which is more than 0 what i currently pay so its fine.its not a perfect machine, for inr 40k, i don't think it can be better. if i increase my budget to say 60-70, then there are more choices but this one is a good bet for now.take ola for example. it is fine until it breaks. then its game over as their service is shit, same for others.when a machine is more expensive, it is more complicated to repair and more expensive also. the simpler the machine, like mine, it has just body + lead acid battery + controller. nothing more. its easier to repair
- alistairSH23 days ago
 We have an e-assist bicycle, so not quite the same as an e-scooter (moto-style, not kick). But, it's great. It doesn't have a throttle, so no pedal-free mode, but with assist on full setting, it'll go 18mph with very little effort. Great for the 8 mile ride to my wife's office (minimal sweat, she does shower there) and she can turn down the assist on the way home for a cardio workout.Here in the US, most of the e-scooters (moto-style) are range-limited (battery size/tech) and overpriced (north of $5K) for what you get. Not when a 150cc scooter is <$5000 and will go >100 miles on a ~1 gallon tank.
- tillcarlos23 days ago
 I own a vinfast theon S and a daybike quantum s1. Living in Vietnam.prices were 2.6k usd and 1.9 for the quantum. Ranges are 100km and 250kmI will probably never buy a gas bike again. Ranges are not a problem in the city. They are quiet and fast. And I pay almost nothing to charge them.If I complain about air quality I at least feel like I need to put money into companies that are actively working on solutions. Especially for small bikes it’s a no-brainer to go electric.
 - saxenaabhi23 days ago
 Isn't 1.9k a bit high? Or is it a mid/high range bike? I heard in china you can get a escooter for 750$ on road, so I would have thought it would similar in vietnam?
 - axus23 days ago
 The US has a problem with theft, how is it solved in Vietnam?
albert_e23 days ago
China's EV-2W sales graph shows a peak in 2021 and then a declining trend in past few years. Curious to know what's happening there. I couldn't find any explanation in the article (admittedly I just skimmed).
- shagie23 days ago
 Might have been the bike share bubble? Asianometry - China's Bonkers Bike-share Bubble <a href="https://youtu.be/FQrEDq8KPiU" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/FQrEDq8KPiU</a> and China Observer - bike graveyard <a href="https://youtu.be/49xQ2sTkjwM" rel="nofollow">https://youtu.be/49xQ2sTkjwM</a>During: <a href="https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/07/4-big-bike-sharing-trends-from-china-that-could-outlast-covid-19/" rel="nofollow">https://www.weforum.org/stories/2020/07/4-big-bike-sharing-t...</a>After: <a href="https://www.news8000.com/lifestyle/money/china-s-bike-sharing-frenzy-has-turned-into-a-bubble/article_3a601d9d-d6eb-56d8-bb83-063c7f629cf7.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.news8000.com/lifestyle/money/china-s-bike-sharin...</a>
- sidkshatriya23 days ago
 My theory: China became richer and more developed. So:(1) Public transport became better and some people shifted to it(2) Some people upgraded to cars
killingtime7422 days ago
Would have been Nice to see to see a few pictures of the toys of vehicles in question
tibbydudeza23 days ago
Pity the Tata Nano failed in India.
- alephnerd23 days ago
 It's a great case study into how not to market to aspirational consumers.Consumers are inherently aspirational, and making your entire marketing pitch that the Tata Nano is the "cheapest car in India" implied only poor people would purchase a Nano.Even if a product is targeted at a lower income market, you still want to build some form of brand prestige otherwise no self respecting consumer will want to associate with the product.
monterrey22 days ago
[dead]
carlosjobim23 days ago
I've heard from friends who are into electrical vehicles that electrical motorcycles aren't a good option economically, because the gas savings are offset by the cost of battery wear and battery replacement.A gas powered motorbike in comparison will run for decades without having to do any expensive engine maintenance.
- mallets23 days ago
 It's the opposite IME, most petrol two-wheelers are massive money sinks past 5 years of ownership. You will likely spend close to original price in maintenance and repairs, with most models developing "unfixable" issues that massively degrade the experience. It doesn't need to be engine related for the costs to add up.Even if the battery craps out after 5 years (extremely unlikely), it's a wash. That's before considering the fuel savings. Battery degradation is a bit of a meme, we aren't even 10 years into mass adoption of EVs for this to be a common experience.
 - carlosjobim23 days ago
 Never had any problem with any bike, except regular maintenance which is changing oil, changing chain, and changing tires. There aren't physically any parts on a motorcycle which could become a "massive money sink" if it breaks from normal use.Are you talking about weird vintage bikes or Harley Davidson bikes? Because modern bikes don't have maintenance or factory issues.> Battery degradation is a bit of a memeWell, what is the explanation then? If there isn't a major drawback with electric motorcycles, they would already have sold hundreds of millions of units.Because of no gas cost, cheaper/no maintenance, better performance, better riding experience, less noisy. Which commuter wouldn't want an electric motorcycle? Are hundreds of millions of potential customers in India, Asia and South America simply fools who don't have the hacker enlightenment?
 - mallets23 days ago
 The explanation is that the trusted brands (in 2Ws) are just now rolling-out EVs, the market is very conservative and home charging likely isn't an option if one's renting.The cheaper variants now have enough range to relieve (urban) range anxiety, wasn't the case a year or two ago. My own model that's 4 years old, the new variant now has 2.5x range, faster charging and much better features. All that for the same price, and without any of the subsidies that used to exist.These things take time, this is a low-margin business that isn't drowning in VC money.
 - carlosjobim22 days ago
 It's a plausible explanation, but I find it a bit difficult to believe. Motorcycle companies are mature and well funded, they're hardly in need of any venture capital at their stage.As for the motorcycle market being conservative, I rather think that there's a lot of people chomping at the bits to try an electric bike. The motorcycle market is much more diverse and playful than the car market, in my opinion. If electric bikes were even "almost as good" as gas bikes, then I'd expect to see at least some percentage out on the street being electric. Or hear people talking about them.But I don't see them anywhere, or hear anything about them. And they are easy and affordable to buy here. What I see is tons of gas motorcycles, and a whole lot of electric cars, and electric scooters (those that go on the pavement).I would expect most ladies who commute on a 125cc scooter to much rather go on an electric motorcycle, just to name a very large customer group.
 mallets22 days ago
 For the established players, it's the battery supply chain that's the main issue. Rest can be locally-sourced or manufactured. Makes them very nervous, having to import when tariffs and rules change everyday.My city in South India could be an outlier but I see green EV number plates everywhere. Would love to see a state-wise breakdown for sale share.
 leosanchez18 days ago
 > My city in South India could be an outlier but I see green EV number plates everywhere.I too see Green EV number plates more that I used to before. I live in a Tier 3 city in South India.
- prmoustache23 days ago
 Yes the burden of the fuel price is much less on a vehicle that sip less than 3L/km