January 14, 2026
Plug wars on the pavement
India's Electric Two-Wheeler Market: Rise, Reset and What Comes Next
Subsidies soared, Ola stumbled, and commenters brawl over price, plugs, and pollution
TLDR: India hit a record 1.28 million e‑scooter sales in 2025 as TVS overtook Ola, but e‑2Ws still make up just 6.3% of all two-wheelers. Comments clash over clean air wins versus everyday hurdles like price, parking, and battery costs, with subsidies ending in 2026 keeping the stakes high.
India’s e‑scooter saga is pure comment-section cinema: from a subsidy-fueled boom (FAME-II slashed prices) to a record 1.28m units in 2025, and TVS snatching the crown while Ola’s sales halved after a year of quality scares and service drama. The crowd is split. sidkshatriya’s “any owners?” prompt uncorked real-world tales: silent rides vs haunted range bars. quietthrow rallied the clean-air squad, saying air pollution is the scorecard, with replies cheekily tracking PM2.5 like cricket runs. albert_e pointed to China’s peak in 2021 then slide, turning the thread into a “are we next?” cautionary binge. spaceman_2020 dropped the everyday gut-punch: no parking, no chargers, same price as mid-range bikes, sparking balcony-extension-cord memes. And carlosjobim hit wallets hard: battery replacement can eat fuel savings, igniting “gas bikes run forever” nostalgia. Facts the crowd kept citing: Maharashtra leads with 18%, e‑2Ws are still just 6.3% of all two-wheelers, and the new PM E‑DRIVE incentives run till March 2026 while taxes (GST) and cheap petrol bikes pile on pressure. Verdict from the stands: momentum is real, but price, plugs, and trust are the boss levels. For policy buffs, here’s a quick search for the program details.
Key Points
- •India’s e-2W sales rose ~305% YoY to ~632k units in 2022, driven primarily by FAME-II subsidies and improved product availability and features.
- •The market crossed 1 million annual sales in 2024 (~1.15m), up ~33% from ~860k in 2023; Maharashtra held the highest share at 18%.
- •In 2025, e-2W retail sales reached ~1.28m units (+11% YoY); e-2Ws comprised ~56% of ~2.27m total EV sales and ~6.3% of all two-wheeler sales in a 20.29m market.
- •TVS Motor Company led 2025 e-2W sales (~299k), overtaking Ola Electric, whose sales fell ~51% to ~200k due to quality, service, and supply-chain issues and a 70% post-IPO stock drop.
- •India launched PM E-DRIVE on Oct 1, 2024, allocating $197m for 2.47m e-2Ws (advanced battery), with the scheme set to end in March 2026.