Was the advent of electric E- Rickshaw in India Planned

The fact that the Indian E–Rickshaw market is booming is a fact that is well known to almost all. It has already become a form of public transport that is now widely used across many cities of India, including Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. But the advent of E-rickshaws and the emergence of Electric Rickshaw Manufacturers in India has only been recent. Ever since the Indian government declared that its fleet would be entirely electric by 2030, the three-wheeled modified battery rickshaw was sweeping the nation’s cities.

Over a thousand electric rickshaws were operating on the highways in Delhi alone in 2016. Since they offer an accessible, affordable solution for motorized mobility, India has historically had the most significant market for three-wheelers and related vehicles.

Let us, however, see how it all started.

How did the Electric Rickshaw revolution start in India?

The advent of electric E- Rickshaw in India were introduced first in Delhi in early 2010 to replace the physically demanding cycle rickshaws. Eventually, ever since, there has been no looking back.

They were promoted as an affordable and environmentally friendly mode of transportation with the enormous potential to close the first and last-mile connectivity gap. These battery-powered three-wheelers in Delhi provided first and last-mile access to the Delhi Metro, which was well appreciated by the passengers but raised concerns for the authorities due to the lack of regulation.

Additionally, e-rickshaws began appearing in other Indian cities, including Kochi, Lucknow, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, etc. For places like Gaya and Jamshedpur, e-rickshaws provide a paratransit option for bridging outlying communities and urban areas. It was inevitable that electric rickshaws would catch on and become widely used. Under its “Detailed Study on Promoting Electric Mobility in India” initiative, TERI is also trying to promote and hasten the adoption of four-wheeled passenger electric vehicles in India.

The need for a regulatory framework became critical

With the sudden rise in demand for electric rickshaws, many electric rickshaw suppliers jumped into the fray.
Despite the occasional proliferation of these vehicles, there was no established regulatory structure for the registration of e-rickshaws. The Government of India modified the Motor Vehicles Act (MVA) in December 2015 and defined e-rickshaws and e-carts in response to the exponential growth and issues like congestion. The Delhi, Gujarat, and Pondicherry administrations developed procedures to regularize these cars in the wake of the modification.
With so much happening in the sector, there has been a strong need for a reliable E-Rickshaw supplier in India. Unfortunately, though the suppliers are many, there are only a few who can be considered to be reliable.
Given the current state of electric mobility in India, where electric two-wheelers and e-rickshaws make up the bulk of the on-road fleet, it is crucial to ensure that this market meets high-quality and secure products. We must solve the quality and safety issue because e-rickshaws are where we first encountered electric mobility. Putting policies into practice will also significantly advance the goal of switching from conventional to electric public transportation. Along with interdepartmental coordination, it will also be crucial for all parties to work together to reach the goal. Given India’s unique situation in terms of its need for these vehicles and its technological ability to produce them, this would result in employment possibilities and self-sufficiency. Local manufacturing must go hand in hand with or even come before the quick scale-up.

Conclusion

To conclude, we can say that the advent of the e-rickshaws in India has not been an accident but has been planned as per the sector’s needs.