3 days ago
India’s Electric Two-Wheeler Sales Set New Annual Record
India is buying electric scooters and motorcycles faster than ever.
In the first eight months of 2026, people registered more electric two-wheelers than they did during all of 2025.
Sales are growing because electric vehicles are becoming cheaper and more companies are offering different models.
Higher petrol prices are also making electric vehicles more attractive.
Experts say buyers are increasingly choosing them for economic reasons, not only because of government subsidies.
Companies such as Ather Energy, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company are expanding factories because demand is strong.
However, some customers now have to wait as long as two months for delivery.
More charging stations and cheaper batteries will be important for future growth.
India recorded 1.35 million electric two-wheeler registrations from January through August, exceeding the 1.34 million full-year total for 2025.
Average monthly sales rose to 168,377 vehicles, compared with 111,861 in the previous year.
The industry could exceed two million electric two-wheeler sales in 2026 if the current pace continues through the festive season.
Lower battery costs, broader product ranges, financing and service networks are supporting adoption beyond early adopters.
Demand has outpaced production at several manufacturers, leading to facility expansions and delivery waits of up to two months.
- Who
- Indian electric two-wheeler manufacturers, buyers and industry analysts, including Crisil Ratings’ Poonam Upadhyay and Ather Energy chief executive Tarun Mehta.
- What
- Electric two-wheeler registrations reached 1.35 million in the first eight months of 2026, surpassing the 1.34 million recorded during all of 2025.
- Where
- India.
- When
- January through August 2026; the article says sales could exceed two million during calendar year 2026.
- Why
- Adoption is being supported by lower battery costs, expanded product choices, rising fuel prices, financing and service networks, and some state and central incentives.
Economic Adoption
Policy and Infrastructure
What is driving demand?
Economic Adoption
Crisil Ratings says lower battery costs, narrower price gaps with petrol scooters, broader product offerings and stronger financing and service networks indicate that economics are increasingly driving adoption rather than subsidies.
Policy and Infrastructure
Ather Energy chief executive Tarun Mehta points to the government’s electrification push, support such as PM E-DRIVE, and concerns about petrol and diesel prices as important demand drivers.
What is needed for the next stage?
Economic Adoption
Lower ownership costs and further battery-cost declines could make electric two-wheelers more attractive to mainstream buyers.
Policy and Infrastructure
Crisil Ratings says adoption will increasingly depend on convenience, especially faster charging-infrastructure expansion and buyers’ confidence that charging will be available when needed.
Demand versus supply
Economic Adoption
Record registrations and rising monthly averages show strong consumer demand, with the industry potentially exceeding two million sales in 2026.
Policy and Infrastructure
Production has not fully kept pace: Ather Energy, Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor Company are expanding facilities, while delivery waits have stretched to as much as two months.
Key facts
- January-August registrations
- 1.35 million electric two-wheelers
- Full-year 2025 record
- 1.34 million registrations
- 2026 average monthly sales
- 168,377 vehicles
- Previous-year monthly average
- 111,861 vehicles
- Potential 2026 sales
- More than two million vehicles
- Top seller through August
- TVS Motor Company, with 353,637 registered units
- Central incentive share
- PM E-DRIVE accounts for about 3-5% of vehicle cost, according to Crisil Ratings
Quotes
Poonam Upadhyay
Director at Crisil Ratings
“As adoption moves beyond early adopters, consumers will increasingly evaluate EVs not just on purchase price but on the confidence of finding a charging point when needed”
financialexpress.com
“The strong growth in electric two-wheeler registrations indicates that the market is increasingly being driven by economics rather than subsidies”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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