TL;DR
NITI Aayog reports that high costs and technological hurdles are impeding the adoption of electric motorcycles in India, favoring electric scooters instead.
A recent report by NITI Aayog indicates that electric motorcycles are struggling to gain significant traction in the Indian market, primarily due to inherent technology constraints, higher costs, and cautious strategies adopted by incumbent manufacturers. While motorcycles account for nearly two-thirds of all two-wheeler sales in India, the penetration of electric motorcycles remains low.
The report points out that delivering power and range comparable to internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycles requires larger battery packs, which pose packaging challenges within conventional motorcycle chassis. These larger batteries also inflate vehicle prices, creating a major hurdle in a price-sensitive market where approximately 65 per cent of motorcycle sales are concentrated in the sub-110 cc segment. Consequently, India's electric two-wheeler market continues to be dominated by scooters, with only a few companies offering electric motorcycle options.
