Surge in e2W Launches Sparks Fierce Price Battle

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March 17, 2025 13:04 IST

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From premium electric motorcycles to mass-market scooters, manufacturers are rapidly expanding their portfolios to capture a larger share of the booming market.

Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes.
IMAGE: Ola Electric's S1 Air e-scooters inside its manufacturing facility in Pochampalli, Tamil Nadu. Photograph: VarunVyas Hebbalalu/Reuters

India's electric two-wheeler (e2W) market is experiencing a wave of new launches in 2025 across segments and price points amid growing interest and competition.

From premium electric motorcycles to mass-market scooters, manufacturers are rapidly expanding their portfolios to capture a larger share of the booming market.

 

According to data from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada), e2W sales stood at 1,73,820 units in 2025, marking a 5.41 per cent increase from the previous year.

In January, sales stood at 97,734 units, reflecting an 18.9 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase.

However, February saw a dip, with sales dropping to 76,086 units, a Y-o-Y decline of 8.05 per cent.

"The electric two-wheeler market has seen consistent growth despite the reduction in government subsidies over the past 12-18 months, with penetration in the 2W segment remaining at levels of 5-6 per cent," said Rohan Kanwar Gupta, Vice President & Sector Head, Corporate Ratings at ICRA.

"Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have managed to keep prices competitive, helped by a correction in battery costs.

"We expect EV penetration in the two-wheeler segment to rise gradually, reaching around 25 per cent by FY2030," Gupta said.

Experts believe that the e2W market is poised for steady growth, with increasing customer acceptance, improving charging infrastructure, and favorable total cost of ownership contributing to the momentum.

New models launched by major players

Ola Electric, a leader in the electric two-wheeler space, entered the motorcycle segment with the launch of the Roadster X series this year, comprising five variants starting at Rs 74,999 (introductory price).

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in mid-March.

Bhavish Aggarwal, chairman and managing director of Ola Electric, said, "Motorcycles are at the heart of India's mobility landscape.

"Our Roadster series will accelerate EV adoption and make electric the first choice for every rider in India."

Ather Energy updated its 450 range of electric scooters, introducing the 450 S, 450 X, and 450 Apex.

The models are priced at Rs 1.2 lakh, Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 1.9 lakh, respectively.

The updated 450 range comes with features, including AtherStack (software engine), Google Maps, Alexa, and WhatsApp notifications.

The "Ping My Scooter" feature allows riders to locate their scooters using sound and visual cues.

Honda introduced two electric scooters at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025, Activa e: Base model priced at Rs 1.17 lakh and Activa e: RoadSync Duo priced at Rs 1.52 lakh.

Featuring two swappable 1.5 kWh batteries, the Activa e: delivers a range of 102 km and a top speed of 80 km/h.

Honda is also offering a Care Plus Package for Rs 9,900, covering a five-year maintenance contract and extended warranty. 

Suzuki unveiled its first electric scooter, the e-Access, built on the same platform as the Access 125.

It features a 3.07 kWh battery with a range of 95 km and a top speed of 71 km/h.

The e-Access offers three riding modes -- Eco, Ride A, and Ride B -- along with a reverse mode.

A fast charger can fully recharge the battery in 2.2 hours.

Bengaluru-based Ultraviolette Automotive has expanded into the mass-market segment with the launch of the Tesseract electric scooter.

Built on a new platform, the Tesseract features a 20.1 bhp electric motor and offers a range of up to 261 km on a single charge, depending on the battery pack chosen (available in 3.5kWh, 5kWh, and 6kWh variants).

Priced at Rs 1.45 lakh (ex-showroom), pre-bookings are open at Rs 999, with deliveries expected in Q1CY26.

Simple Energy introduced the Simple One S electric scooter, which offers the longest range in its price segment at 181 km.

Priced at Rs 1.39 lakh (ex-showroom), it features a 3.7 kWh fixed battery, achieving a top speed of 105 km/h and accelerating from 0 to 40 km/h in 2.55 seconds.

The scooter will be available in 15 showrooms, with expansion plans for 150 new stores and 200 service centres by FY26.

Greaves Electric's Ampere introduced the Magnus Neo at Rs 79,999 (ex-showroom), replacing the EX variant.

The Neo features a 2.3 kWh battery offering a range of 100 km and a top speed of 65 km/h.

It comes with a portable 7.4A charger capable of charging the battery in 5 to 6 hours.

BattRE Electric Mobility launched the LOEV+ electric scooter at Rs 69,999 (ex-showroom).

It offers three riding modes: eco mode, comfort mode, and sports mode.

The scooter features smart connectivity via an informative speedometer showing distance to empty (DTE) and state of charge (SoC).

Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com

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