IMPERATIVES FOR INDIA'S EV LEAP

FROM LOCALISATION TO INNOVATION... TACKLING CHARGING WOES, IMPROVING BATTERY TECH AND PROVIDING BETTER AFTER-SALES SERVICE ARE KEY TO POWER THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE REVOLUTION

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AS 2024 drew to a close, there was a discernible sense of excitement among India's electric vehicle (EV) industry-watchers. By mid-December, total EV sales were up 35 per cent YoY and a whisker short of a new landmark-2 million units! Leading the charge, E2Ws (electric two-wheelers) had largely kept up their growth promises.

With legacy players weighing in, and the consequent rapid growth in penetration of the large urban markets, the '1 million+' sales number became a reality. And E2Ws-including the low power products-are now estimated to account for more than one out of four scooters sold in the top 10 urban centres. E3Ws (electric three-wheelers) have had an equally impressive run, clocking a near 20 per cent rise through much of the year and rising above 600,000 units. The only relative dampener came from the high-expectation, high-visibility E4W (electric four-wheeler) segment, which is seen as stopping short of the 100,000 mark.

Quite naturally then, the focus is now on the trajectory for 2025and what challenges the EV sector will face in its growth aspirations. Probably the most critical issue that existing consumers face, and intending consumers look for, is range anxiety and the availability/ quality of charging facilities. While manufacturers will necessarily have to put in a far greater amount of effort into getting consumers to appreciate the dos and don'ts of handling EVs to better address range issues, concerns about the charging infrastructure are real. Social media is replete with reports of chargers not functioning or just not being available as shown on a map. Worse, a host of consumer complaints like vehicles stalling in the middle of traffic or facing a complete software fadeout might well be directly related to the quality of the charging infrastructure.