Pune:
Electric bikes or e-bikes are environment-friendly but in India they are yet to prove themselves user-friendly; and this despite the fact that there is a huge market for these two-wheelers.
Most of the e-bikes sold in India are manufactured using Chinese technology and their main drawback in Indian 'conditions' is their poor pick-up. Experts say e-bikes made with Chinese technology do not support the weight of Indian users who are usually heavier than their Chinese counterparts.
When India is looking for options to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and promote energy-efficient means of transport, poor acceptability of e-bikes is a matter of concern. An expert in the field says that the Chinese technology being used in India for making e-bikes is not fit for Indian conditions. The biggest issue is that of pick-up and mileage.
Jaysukh Patel, director of Oreva E-bikes, said, "The average Indian commuter is much heavier than the average Chinese user. This makes the e-bikes less user-friendly here in India as compared to China."
Besides, the typical Indian habit of travelling 'two on a bike' also prevents the vehicles in acquiring the desired pick-up and speed. To add to the problem, there are very few places on Indian roads where the batteries of the two-wheelers can be recharged.
In China, e-bike is very popular with commuters and more than 20 million units are sold in that country every year. The climatic conditions, the average weight of the riders and adequate utility facilities available in China support the use of e-bikes. But in India, e-bikes constitute just 1 % of the two-wheeler market. "In the Indian two-wheeler market, 9 million vehicles are added every year but the share of e-bikes is merely 1% of this,'' said Naveen Munjal, MD, Hero Electric.
According to him, India has a long way to go when it comes to mass adoption of e-bikes as compared to China. Munjal says government support is needed in the form subsidies to buyers or exemption from duties, to push the sale of e-bikes in India.
In India, those who currently use e-bikes are mostly students, youths or people belonging to the lower and middle income groups. The industry wants to take it further to other classes of society, including corporate and business people, but for that it needs government support.
There is also a need for local companies to engage in research to develop a technology that is suitable to Indian conditions.
Poor pick-up, low demand
Most of the e-bikes sold in India are manufactured using Chinese technology and their main drawback in Indian 'conditions' is their poor pick-up. Experts say e-bikes made with Chinese technology do not support the weight of Indian users who are usually heavier than their Chinese counterparts.
When India is looking for options to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and promote energy-efficient means of transport, poor acceptability of e-bikes is a matter of concern. An expert in the field says that the Chinese technology being used in India for making e-bikes is not fit for Indian conditions. The biggest issue is that of pick-up and mileage.
Jaysukh Patel, director of Oreva E-bikes, said, "The average Indian commuter is much heavier than the average Chinese user. This makes the e-bikes less user-friendly here in India as compared to China."
Besides, the typical Indian habit of travelling 'two on a bike' also prevents the vehicles in acquiring the desired pick-up and speed. To add to the problem, there are very few places on Indian roads where the batteries of the two-wheelers can be recharged.
In China, e-bike is very popular with commuters and more than 20 million units are sold in that country every year. The climatic conditions, the average weight of the riders and adequate utility facilities available in China support the use of e-bikes. But in India, e-bikes constitute just 1 % of the two-wheeler market. "In the Indian two-wheeler market, 9 million vehicles are added every year but the share of e-bikes is merely 1% of this,'' said Naveen Munjal, MD, Hero Electric.
According to him, India has a long way to go when it comes to mass adoption of e-bikes as compared to China. Munjal says government support is needed in the form subsidies to buyers or exemption from duties, to push the sale of e-bikes in India.
In India, those who currently use e-bikes are mostly students, youths or people belonging to the lower and middle income groups. The industry wants to take it further to other classes of society, including corporate and business people, but for that it needs government support.
There is also a need for local companies to engage in research to develop a technology that is suitable to Indian conditions.
Poor pick-up, low demand
- Weight of the indian riders does not help in getting the desired pick-up, so many do not prefer e-bikes
- There are also not enough charging points on Indian roads, so commuters fear re-charging problem in case of long rides
- E-bikes constitute just 1% of the two-wheeler market in India, where as 20 million e-bikes are sold in China every year
- Industry experts seek govt subsidy for buyers, feel local technology should be developed
