Record fuel costs push scooter-loving Indians to opt for electric models

At current prices, even the most fuel-efficient two-wheeler guzzles gasoline worth more than Rs 100 ($1.3) for a 100-km ride

The highest fuel prices in India’s history are spurring efforts to shift the nation’s ubiquitous motor scooters -- which account for nearly 70% of local gasoline consumption -- to electric models, along with a new pledge to hit net-zero by 2070.

At current prices, even the most fuel-efficient two-wheeler guzzles gasoline worth more than 100 rupees ($1.3) for a 100-kilometer ride, while an e-scooter can run the same distance at less than a sixth of that cost. 

Companies like Hero Electric Vehicles Pvt. and Ola Electric Mobility Pvt., a unit of India’s biggest ride-hailing services provider Ola, are launching new