3 days ago
New electric scooter launches challenge India's petrol two-wheeler dominance
Ather has introduced a new electric scooter called the Konarc.
It costs ₹99,999 and is designed for everyday families.
Other companies are also preparing new electric scooters.
Petrol scooters such as the Honda Activa still sell the most overall.
However, electric scooters are moving higher in sales rankings.
They can cost less to operate because electricity is cheaper than petrol.
More dealerships and charging options are also appearing outside big cities.
These changes could help electric scooters become much more common in India.
Ather launched the Konarc electric scooter at ₹99,999 on Saturday for the mass market.
Simple Energy, Honda, Ultraviolette and Yamaha are preparing additional electric scooter launches.
Honda Activa and TVS Jupiter remain market leaders, although petrol scooter growth has plateaued.
TVS iQube and Bajaj Chetak sold nearly 350,000 combined units from April through July FY27.
Electric scooters are gaining popularity because of lower running costs and expanding dealership and charging networks.
- Who
- Ather and other two-wheeler manufacturers, including Simple Energy, Honda, Ultraviolette and Yamaha.
- What
- Ather launched the ₹99,999 Konarc, while several new electric scooters are expected to enter the market.
- Where
- India, including tier-2 and tier-3 cities where electric-vehicle dealership networks are expanding.
- When
- The Konarc launched on Saturday; sales figures cited cover April through July of FY27, with further launches expected in the coming months.
- Why
- Lower ownership costs, elevated fuel prices, and improving dealership and charging networks are encouraging buyers to choose electric scooters.
Key facts
- Ather Konarc price
- ₹99,999
- Konarc platform
- Ather’s new EL, or Enlightened, platform
- Activa July performance
- Dispatches fell 13% year-on-year
- TVS iQube July sales
- 59,386 units, a record according to the article
- Bajaj Chetak July sales
- 47,184 units, up 307% year-on-year
- Combined iQube and Chetak sales
- Nearly 350,000 units from April through July FY27
- Electric scooter payback estimate
- Riders covering 30–40 km daily may recover the upfront premium within 12–18 months
Quotes
Senior two-wheeler market analyst
A senior two-wheeler market analyst working with one of the Big 4 consultancy firms
“With fuel prices remaining elevated – thanks in part due to the crude oil volatility from the ongoing Middle East conflict, which has pushed fence-sitting buyers towards experimenting with EVs – and charging at home costing a fraction of filling petrol, daily riders covering 30-40 km can recover an electric scooter’s upfront price premium within 12-18 months.”
financialexpress.com
“We are seeing a structural shift in urban two-wheeler buying. Electric scooters are no longer limited to early adopters. Practical family-oriented electric scooters are replacing 110cc and 125cc petrol scooters in top 10 charts, and upcoming launches like the Ather Konarc will only accelerate that shift.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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