Electric vehicle sales in India up 20 pc in 2019-20: SMEV

Electric vehicles sales, excluding e-rickshaws, in India grew by 20 per cent at 1.56 lakh units in 2019-20 driven by two-wheelers, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) said on Monday.

In 2018-19, total EV sales in India stood at 1.3 lakh units, SMEV said in a statement.

Out of the total sales in FY20, 1.52 lakh units were two-wheelers, 3,400 cars and 600 buses. The corresponding sale for the 2018-19 was 1.26 two-wheelers, 3,600 cars and around 400 buses, it added.

"This figure does not include e-rickshaws which is still largely with the unorganized sector with a reported sale of around 90,000 units. The corresponding figures of the e-ricks sold in the previous year have not been documented," SMEV said.

SMEV said the growth of EV sales in India was driven by the electric two-wheeler (E2W) segment.

"In the E2Ws sold in FY2019-20, 97 per cent were electric scooters and a very small volume of motorcycles and electric cycles filled the rest of 3 per cent. Low-speed scooters that go at a max speed of 25km/hr and do not need registration with the transport authorities constituted a whopping 90 per cent of all the E2Ws sold," it added.

In the electric four-wheeler segment, 3,400 units were sold in FY20 compared to 3,600 units in the previous fiscal year. The decrease in numbers is attributed mainly due to lack of bulk purchase of e-cars in FY19-20 and discontinuation of one of the leading car models, it added.

SMEV said,"the acceptability of electric cars in the premium segment in the second half of the year was a positive signal of a quantum jump of a much higher volume of e-cars in FY 20-21."
Commenting on the sales performance, SMEV Director General Sohinder Gill said, the EV industry is taking shape and we believe that despite the COVID-19, FY20-21 will be a defining year for all the EV segments."
He further said,"while the EV industry is surely going to face the brunt of COVID-19 like any other automotive business, the clearer skies and the cleaner air in even the worst polluting cities is certainly leaving a permanent impression in the minds of the customers about how they can breathe easy and remain healthy if the society moves towards e-mobility."