PUNE: For the first time in three years, fewer electric vehicles were registered across the state in 2024, largely due to the sudden reduction of the subsidy for EVs, charging worries and after-sales service concerns of some brands.
While the state saw a 20% drop in EV registrations in 2024 compared to 2023, the Pune Regional Transport Office recorded an over 32% drop, according to figures retrieved from the Vahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. In the Pimpri Chinchwad RTO, registrations fell by more than 37% last year compared to 2023.
Katraj resident Vijaykumar Bhurke, who bought a two-wheeler from a popular brand last year, was appalled when his bike failed to start in early Nov.
"They took almost one-and-a-half months to fix the issue, causing me major hassles. I bought the bike for Rs 1.2 lakh. If my experience with the company went sour, why would I encourage my friends and acquaintances to opt for an electric vehicle," he asked.
Sachin Mahajan, state president of Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), told TOI that the biggest problem was due to the subsidy given to EVs.
"In April 2024, the subsidy given to EVs by govt was reduced from Rs 55,000 to Rs 10,000. This resulted in the price of EVs shooting up. Between April and Aug, the EV market plummeted as dealers as well as customers were perplexed," Mahajan told TOI.
Charging EVs was another issue that led to the drop, Mahajan said. Traffic jam and lack of infrastructure too have contributed.
"Too much traffic on the road is resulting in major traffic jams. I have heard from EV owners that they had to switch off the engine and AC and sit it out in the heat to avoid running out of charge. There is a serious lack of charging infrastructure. They are almost non-existent. While the Centre has schemes, they are not being implemented due to red tape," he added.
Sunil Chacco, president (L&D) of Joy e-bikes, blamed it on factors such as "after-sale service concerns" of certain brands and "negative publicity on social media about battery safety".
"A lack of transparency about future EV subsidies policy, no benefits in GST offered to EVs, and a lack of speedy charging stations are some reasons. However, there are certain EVs that don't require any registration, and these are continuing to sell," he said.
