Apr 14, 2024 23:30:00

In India, three-wheeled 'electric rickshaws' rather than four-wheeled EVs are dominating the industry, with a Japanese company taking the top market share

As electric vehicles are gaining attention around the world, the market share of electric rickshaws, which are three-wheeled vehicles that have been electrified, is expanding in India. Here we have summarized the current status of electric rickshaws.

Terra Motors (India) leads the electric rickshaw market | Regional and analytical reports - Overseas business information - JETRO

https://www.jetro.go.jp/biz/areareports/2022/4cfc5cbd6a6367d3.html

Electric e Rickshaw Manufacturers & Bulk Suppliers In India
https://www.ycevehicles.com/

India's electric rickshaws are leaving EVs in the dust - Rest of World
https://restofworld.org/2024/e-rickshaw-yc-electric-india/

In India, the world's most populous country, there are many different types of vehicles on the roads, including cars, trucks, and motorbikes, which are common in Japan, as well as hand-pulled food stalls, herds of cows, and lying pigs. You can learn more about the traffic situation in India as of 2015 by reading the following article.

Vehicles and animals that create terrible traffic conditions in India that can't cross the road - GIGAZINE

One of the many means of transportation used is the three-wheeled taxi 'auto rickshaw.' The word 'rickshaw' in auto rickshaw comes from the Japanese word 'jinrikisha' (rickshaw), and it is characterized by its open appearance without doors. Auto rickshaws are cheap and easy to operate, so they are popular among low-income earners who are starting a new taxi business.

Like regular cars, auto rickshaws are also moving from gasoline-powered to electric, and the share of electric auto rickshaws is expanding. Below is the 2024 version of the '

Type Share of EVs Sold in India ' compiled by the Indian EV promotion group ' Clean Mobility Shift '. The share of three-wheeled auto rickshaws is 55.41%, significantly higher than the 6.73% for two-wheeled and 2.34% for four-wheeled.

Terra Motors , a Japanese venture company, holds the top share in the electric rickshaw sales industry in India. Terra Motors began selling electric rickshaws in Haryana state in northern India in September 2015, and has expanded its business scale to sell more than 10,000 units per year by 2022.

Terra Motors' electric rickshaw listing page has multiple models listed. The 'T4' below can travel 100km on a single charge and has a top speed of 45km/h.

The Y4A looks more like a traditional auto-rickshaw and can travel 80km on a single charge with a top speed of 25km per hour.

There is also a model called 'Mini Cargo' that is designed specifically for transportation purposes rather than as a taxi.

The second largest share in the electric rickshaw industry is New Delhi-based YC Electric. According to the foreign media Rest of World, the company sold 46,000 electric rickshaws in 2023 alone. YC Electric's

product list page includes models for use in the taxi business and models for transporting luggage.

Although sales of electric rickshaws appear to be going well, Rest of World points out that the situation of 'dependence on China for technology related to the production of electric rickshaws' could be a risk. For example, YC Electric receives training from Chinese engineers to improve its employees' welding skills, and relies on imports from China for battery and magnet materials essential for the production of electric rickshaws. Territorial disputes between India and China are intensifying, so depending on future circumstances, the production of electric rickshaws may also be affected.