Your next e-scooter may come with a BEE star rating for efficiency

BEE proposes voluntary one- to five-star labels for e2Ws based on energy efficiency

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), under the Ministry of Power, has come out with a draft to introduce voluntary standards and labelling for electric two-wheelers (e2Ws), similar to the star-rating system used for electrical appliances such as air conditioners (ACs) and refrigerators, where products are rated from one to five stars based on their energy efficiency.

 

The draft points out that vehicles with specific energy consumption between 3.24 and 3.78 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per 100 kilometres (km) will be given a one-star rating. Vehicles consuming more than 2.69 kWh but less than 3.24 kWh per 100 km will get two stars, while those consuming more than 2.15 kWh to less than 2.69 kWh per 100 km will receive a three-star rating.

 

To achieve a four-star rating, specific energy consumption should be between 1.6 and 2.15 kWh per 100 km. The top rating of five stars is earmarked for vehicles where energy consumption is less than 1.6 kWh per 100 km.

 

According to BEE, under this formula, currently 26 per cent of e2Ws will get one star, 55 per cent two stars, 18 per cent three stars, and only 1 per cent four stars, while no vehicle is in the five-star category.

 

The five-star rating proposed is in line with the best-performing models globally. According to BEE, the difference between the world’s best-performing models and India is around 10 per cent.

 

The draft has been circulated among stakeholders, including two-wheeler companies and their associations, for comments before it takes its final shape.

 

The star labelling programme, which started voluntarily in 2006, has now been extended to 41 appliances — 18 of them mandatory and the rest voluntary — ranging from ceiling fans to computers, microwave ovens, induction hobs, and liquefied petroleum gas stoves, among others.

 

The objective of ratings for e2Ws is threefold: first, to provide clear information on energy consumption, range, and efficiency to customers; second, to encourage manufacturers to build energy-efficient vehicles and help customers make informed decisions at the time of purchase; and third, to encourage technological innovation in this space.

 

There are currently over 219 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) making e2Ws — scooters and motorcycles — in the country. However, the top 10 players in the e2W space controlled 94 per cent of the market in 2025-26. There are as many as 85 unique e2W models in the market.

 

In India, BEE points out that the average specific energy consumption is 2.67 kWh per 100 km. However, in Europe it is 3.85 kWh, in Indonesia 2.31 kWh, in China 2.1 kWh, and in Vietnam 1.8 kWh, while the global average is pegged at 2.52 kWh. India is 6 per cent higher than the global average.

 

Star power for e2Ws

 

·         BEE drafts voluntary energy-efficiency labels for e2Ws, modelled on appliance ratings

 

·         One- to five-star ratings to show how much energy an e2W consumes per 100 km

 

·         Aim is help buyers compare models, push makers towards efficient vehicles, and improve transparency

 

·         India’s e2W market has 219 OEMs and over 85 unique models competing for buyers