22 hrs ago
India’s Low-Speed EV Weight Limit Faces a Safety Test
India has special rules for small electric two-wheelers that can be used without a driving licence or vehicle registration.
These rules were designed to make travel and delivery work more accessible.
Currently, qualifying vehicles must weigh no more than 60 kilograms.
A proposed rule change would remove that weight requirement.
The article says speed and motor power can be changed using software.
Weight is harder to change and could help officials identify vehicles that should not receive the exemption.
Heavier vehicles may be harder to control and could be more like motorbikes.
The author believes India should keep a weight limit while considering other safety checks.
India’s proposed CMVR amendment would remove the existing 60-kilogram unladen-weight cap for exempt low-speed electric two-wheelers.
The exemption would continue to include requirements involving motor power, maximum speed, braking, reflective fittings and motor cut-off behaviour.
Yulu co-founder R.K. Misra argues that power and speed can be altered through software, while weight offers a physical enforcement safeguard.
The article warns that heavier, more powerful vehicles could resemble motorbikes while remaining licence- and registration-exempt.
Misra says additional measures such as single-seat limits or physical verification should complement, rather than replace, a weight limit.
- Who
- The Indian government and regulators are considering the rule change; R.K. Misra, co-founder of Yulu, argues against removing the weight safeguard.
- What
- A proposed amendment to Rule 2(u) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules would remove the 60-kilogram unladen-weight condition for licence- and registration-exempt low-speed electric two-wheelers.
- Where
- India.
- When
- The articles do not specify when the proposed amendment would take effect.
- Why
- The change is presented as a simplification, but the article argues that retaining a weight limit would support road safety, enforcement and the intended use of lightweight electric vehicles.
Remove or Relax Weight Limits
Retain a Physical Weight Safeguard
Regulatory definition
Remove or Relax Weight Limits
The proposed change treats motor power and maximum speed, along with other technical requirements, as the key conditions for exemption and removes the weight criterion as a simplification.
Retain a Physical Weight Safeguard
R.K. Misra argues that the exemption should retain a clear physical weight boundary, whether or not the limit remains exactly 60 kilograms.
Enforcement
Remove or Relax Weight Limits
A framework based on power and speed could define the category without relying on vehicle weight.
Retain a Physical Weight Safeguard
The article says software can alter power and speed, while weight provides a more difficult-to-tamper-with enforcement proxy for officials.
Vehicle access and safety
Remove or Relax Weight Limits
Removing the cap could allow a wider range of electric two-wheelers to qualify for licence- and registration-free use.
Retain a Physical Weight Safeguard
The article argues that heavier, dual-seat vehicles would not serve the lightweight mobility users the exemption was intended to support and could create additional safety risks.
Key facts
- Existing weight cap
- Exempt low-speed electric two-wheelers were previously limited to 60 kilograms of unladen weight.
- Proposed change
- The draft amendment to Rule 2(u) would drop the unladen-weight condition.
- Other conditions retained
- Motor power, maximum speed, braking, reflective fittings and motor cut-off behaviour would remain conditions for exemption.
- Exemption benefits
- Qualifying vehicles can be operated without a driver’s licence or vehicle registration.
- Safety concern
- The article says heavier vehicles with more powerful motors could resemble motorbikes while remaining exempt.
- Suggested safeguards
- Possible measures include single-seat or no-pillion restrictions and physical verification at sale and afterward.
- Example cited
- Yulu says its fleet, designed with Bajaj Auto, operates within the 60-kilogram limit across Indian cities.
Sources
Related news
Electric Three-Wheelers Classified by Rules, Not Shape
Maharashtra Eyes Extending Bike-Taxi Rules to Delivery Platforms
Delhi Bans New Non-Electric Goods Vehicles From 2027
Gig Workers Demand Safety Rules for Private Bike Taxis
Gujarat Allows Sidecar Motorcycles for Divyang Persons
Delhi-NCR’s Phased LGV Registration Curbs Begin From 2027
Rate-Sensitive Shares Slide as October RBI Hike Bets Rise
Smaller Indian EV Brands Accelerate Growth Amid Two-Wheeler Boom
Rajkumar Hirani Says AI Will Transform the Future of Filmmaking
Ola Electric Delays Three-Wheeler Launch After ₹229 Crore Spend
