Coimbatore: The city has registered a 205% increase in electric vehicle (e-vehicle) sales in the first eight months of this year, when the city’s four regional transport offices (RTOs) registered 512 such vehicles as against 186 . In 12 months in 2020.
A regional transport official said people were generally looking for alternative transport systems as they did not want to travel in packed public transport during the pandemic. “This, along with the increase in fuel prices, has helped e-vehicle sales touch new heights.”
Other factors, the official said, that changed the mindset of people towards e-vehicles were technological advancements, which have increased the average driving range of electric vehicles with fully charged batteries and the availability of recharging points.
As per the data available with the transport department, 412 electric two-wheelers were registered with Coimbatore North, South, West and Central RTOs in the city till August 31 this year as compared to 150 during January-December, 2020.
The sales of electric cars have also registered a growth of 161% during this period. While only 36 electric cars were sold in the city last year, 94 e-cars were sold till the end of August this year.
VR Shailaja, a resident of Peelamedu, is one of the residents who have opted for an electric two-wheeler. “I used to travel to my workplace near Singanallur in a city bus. I stopped bus travel after the outbreak of Covid-19 and my husband started dropping me on his bike. When he recently decided to buy a two-wheeler for me, I went for an e-scooter,” she told TOI.
Recalling her visits to vehicle showrooms in the city to get quotations, Shailaja said that there were now a lot of e-scooter options available in different price ranges based on average driving range and other features.
Dealers said e-vehicles with a 250-watt motor and a top speed of 25 kmph do not require registration with the transport department. “Driving license is also not required to drive such vehicles. There is a demand for this category and higher class vehicles which require registration. Hence, the actual number of e-vehicles sold this year is higher than the figures available with the RTO,” said a dealer.
E-vehicle makers expressed a similar view. One of them said that most of the vehicles sold were unregistered. “The number of unregistered e-vehicles on the road is 10 times more than that of registered vehicles.”
C Sathyachandran, proprietor of Wagon Wheels, said that e-vehicles are liked by both men and women alike. “Apart from daily office commuters, people involved in extensive travel like food delivery and marketing also use e-vehicles, as they find them economical. They carry extra batteries with them. The market has also now matured and offers a range of vehicles.”
The manager of another vehicle showroom said that there are many charging points in the city, especially in malls. “If more charging points were to come, sales would go up.”
Dealers said that they were also inquiring about electric three-wheelers for commercial transport that hit the market recently.
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