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Image – swift lifestyleMaharashtra EV Policy outlines increasing new EV registrations to 10 percent of all purchases by 2025
Maharashtra government aims to increase new vehicle registration at 10 percent of all vehicles registered by 2025. Bombay alone will benefit from a network of 1,500 charging stations. 15 percent of MSRTC buses will comprise of en electric fleet. Alongside demand and supply side incentives, incentives are on offer to set up advanced chemistry cell battery manufacturing plants.
The state is also keen on a 1 giga watt battery manufacturing plant. Incentives are set at 5k per kWh of battery. Max incentive for electric two-wheelers (scooters, motorcycles, bikes) is capped at Rs 10k, and for electric three-wheelers at Rs 30k. EVs will be exempt from road tax, and registration costs. Maharashtra is also working on car scrappage incentives.
EV Policy revision
Following a revision in FAME II policy, states have been quick to announce a revision to their own policies. States are taking a similar yet unique approach to the policy. Following Delhi, and Gujarat, Maharashtra has chosen to make allocations. Thus far, a large number of states have chosen not to make an announcement yet. With most states still chalking out details, for now, new strategies and approaches aren’t all too clear to understand. Further revisions too can be expected as governments get into nitty gritties, or else this could all come to nought.
Benefits of the programmes are projected to be quite modest to start with. For now, it remains unclear when the outline of FAME II policy will meet its goals. This is especially true, considering initial draft goals were not met in entirety despite revisions.
Ather Electric Scooter in Pune
EV industry incentives
Reducing carbon footprint and attaining green goals for a better environment is top priority. If these goals are to get closer to reality by the end of the decade, then changes need to be enforced in quick time. An initial approach focuses on incentivising the process. This would mean the government aligns with incentivising production as well as purchase.
On the one hand, focus could likely be on tax breaks for investments made in sustainable technologies and on the other hand to impose disincentives for those that employ unsustainable ones. But this approach can’t go hand in hand under current circumstances. Transition to wider acceptance of electric vehicles can’t be at the cost of penalising an age old and established industry that contributes greatly to GDP.
However, current policy revisions being initiated encourage the general outlook wherein automotive businesses will be concentrating on cutting down their carbon emissions. Over time, businesses could be given beneficial credits if they undertake projects that cut down carbon emissions by a certain percentage. Although these schemes are meant to be incentive based, there is an inherent drawback. Following the initial period of enthusiasm, what will sustain EV industry growth in the short term?
Ather Energy On Maharashtra EV Policy July 2021
“The Maharashtra government’s new EV Policy is extremely comprehensive and has taken into account the entire EV ecosystem. The incentives offered for both the demand and supply side will accelerate the adoption and the manufacturing of EVs in the country. In addition to demand incentives, the policy also incentivizes buy-back, and vehicle scrappage. Early bird incentive is a great mechanism to jump start things, as well as to drive festive sales. Ather Energy is geared to cater to the rising demand in Maharashtra through its retail outlets in key cities like Mumbai, Pune and plans to expand to Nashik and Nagpur soon. Such progressive policies introduced by the state governments have the potential to drive faster adoption of electric vehicles in the country.”
Hero Electric On New EV Policy in Maharashtra
Mr. Sohinder Gill, CEO Hero Electric & Director General, SMEV said, “The Maharashtra government policy grants us the privilege to reach out to our potential customer base in the state. With the amendment of FAME 2 by the central government and now the individual state policies like this one have only encouraged the adoption of electric vehicles in India. The added subsidies from the government on batteries and overall vehicles apart from encouraging battery makers to invest in the state will only aid to the growing interest among investors and companies looking to make an entry into the manufacturing of parts for the segment. At Hero, we are looking forward to this new phase of Electric mobility that will be driven with the states and the consumers who are looking up to a green, clean mode of transport.”
Mr. Naveen Munjal, MD, Hero Electric said, “With the announcement of revised EV policy by the state of Maharashtra, we expect the shift towards EV mobility in the country to gain more traction in the coming few days. The policy that aims to convert 10% of their overall EVs by 2025 and install 1500 charging station across the state, will only make EVs an attractive option for mobility in the state. Hero Electric is committed towards such initiatives and we are elated to further expand our reach with government support. We are extremely bullish about achieving our targets of 1 million scooters on road over the next few years.”
Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) On Maharashtra EV Policy July 2021
The announcement by the Maharashtra government is not only encouraging for the EV industry but also solidifies India’s vision of becoming a global EV hub. These much-awaited measures offer to bridge the chasm between awareness and consumer sentiment towards e-mobility. We hold steadfast optimism towards states announcing a revised policy with a special focus on demand creation. An inclusive and pragmatic approach to E-mobility and charging infrastructure is imperative to boost innovation and increase uptake among consumers. We thank the government for the EV Policy, which will create a positive impact and help in the acceleration of green vehicles in the state. More

Ather Electric ScooterMore electric two-wheelers are set to be launched in the coming future leading to prospective expansion of the segment
While electric mobility hasn’t been able to penetrate the mass market in India, its growth in recent months, especially in the two-wheeler space, surely has been impressive. Most of the segments in the Indian auto industry struggled to grapple with the unprecedented crisis caused due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
However, the first six months of 2021 witnessed appreciable growth in the electric two-wheeler space despite facing a deadlier second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The following study conducted by a publication, reveals the data specifying the number of high-speed electric two-wheelers sold last year and the first half of this year.
The analysis involves only high-speed (minimum top-speed of 40kmph) battery-powered two-wheelers sold by eleven leading EV manufacturers in India. These eleven brands were able to outsell the number of electric two-wheelers sold last year in the first half of 2021 itself. Last year, a total of 25,598 units (-5.97 percent YoY) of high-speed two-wheelers were retailed. In comparison, 29,288 units were sold in the first six months of the current calendar year.
Hero Electric Leads Segment
Hero Electric remained the highest-selling OEM in the electric two-wheeler space with 11,432 units sold from the start of this year till July 7. The company registered a YoY growth of 41 percent over calendar year 2020 which translates into an average of 1,633 units per month. Last year, the company sold 8,111 similar units. Hero Electric was followed by Gurgaon-based Okinawa Autotech which sold 5,903 units during the first six months of 2021.
Electric Two Wheeler Sales H1 2021
This resulted in an average monthly sales of 843 units. Okinawa was trailed by Ampere Vehicles with 3,899 units during the first half of 2021 with an average monthly sales of 557 units. These three manufacturers continue to hold the bulk of the market share of 70 percent in the electric two-wheeler space.
Ather Energy Shows Progressive Numbers
The big three are closely followed by Bengaluru-based EV startup Ather Energy which has reportedly sold around 3,758 units in the first six months of the current calendar year. The annual sales figure for 2020 and 2019 stood at 2,972 units and 2,290 units respectively.
The company currently retails two electric scooters- 450X and 450 Plus. It has recently shifted its production base to a new facility in Hosur. Ather is also looking to expand its footprint in the country by opening new showrooms.
In terms of month-wise sales, March 2021 saw the highest sales in the past two years with 9,875 units. The segment is bound to see more buyers in the near future with more new EV brands and a widening of charging infrastructure across the country. The most noticeable addition to this list will be the upcoming electric scooter from Ola.
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New Ola Electric Scooter For IndiaOla will also be building a massive Hyperchrging network comprising 400 cities across India
Ola’s upcoming electric scooter has been the talk of the town for some time now. The ride-hailing major is gearing up to step into electric mobility by space by aggressively marketing its upcoming battery-powered two-wheeler. The company founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, has been the torchbearer of its marketing campaign.
Recently, Aggarwal took a spin on the electric scooter around Bengaluru and shared his experience on Twitter. He later asked his followers on social media for suggesting colour options on the e-scooter. Aggarwal has now teased another set of images of the upcoming electric scooter, asking audiences for some new marketing strategies.
Ola Electric Scooter – New Teaser
Revelation from recent images
The images posted by Aggarwal consisted of supposedly dejected promotional ideas from the company’s marketing teams and comprised cheeky and pun intended lines. Snippets of these taglines have been posted below. He finally concludes by conceding that a “launch is coming up soon”. The images also highlight parts of the e-scooter from different angles such as the tail light, rear section with grab rails and front apron.
Most importantly the taglines highlight some of the key attributes of the upcoming electric scooter. It is bound to offer class-leading under-seat storage space as well as app-based keyless access to the scooter. Through a tagline, Aggarwal also claims that the Ola e-scooter will also offer best-in-class range on a single charge.
Ola Electric Scooter – New Teaser
Expected Features
To refresh everyone’s memory, the forthcoming Ola electric scooter is based on Etergo Appscooter and will borrow most of its design from the latter. In May last year, Ola Electric, the EV manufacturing arm of Ola Cabs, acquired Netherlands-based Etergo BV. Test mules of this battery-powered scooter have been frequently spotted over the last few months.
Ola Electric Scooter – New Teaser
Although Ola has claimed to offer class-leading speed, performance and range on its upcoming e-scooter, it hasn’t released any specific details regarding the e-scooter’s technical specifications. It is also expected to borrow most of its features from its Dutch twin including alloy wheels, removable Lithium-ion battery, digital instrument console, cloud connectivity and more.
The scooter will ride on telescopic front forks and a horizontally-mounted shock absorber on the rear side while offering ample ground clearance. Recent teaser images revealed that the scooter will feature a quirky-looking twin-beam LED headlight with an LED DRL strip around the main cluster. Its dimensions are compact and riding dynamics look fairly simple.
Ola Electric Scooter – New Teaser
Ola Electric Manufacturing Facility
Ola is also building a new state-of-art manufacturing facility in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu construction of which is currently underway. On completion, this plant will be the largest two-wheeler manufacturing facility in the world with an annual production capacity of 2 million units. This facility will also generate 10,000 jobs and will comply with Industry 4.0 norms.
Ola Electric Scooter Plant
Ola Electric raises US$100 million long term debt
Ola Electric and Bank of Baroda today have signed the largest long-term debt financing agreement in Indian EV industry. This 10-year debt of US$100 million is towards the funding and financial closure of the Phase 1 of the Ola Futurefactory, Ola’s global manufacturing hub for its electric two-wheelers. More

Hero Electric ScootersHero Electric raises growth capital of Rs.220 crores from GII and OAKS – company targets 1 million (10 lakh) unit sales yearly
Hero Electric has raised growth capital of Rs 220 crores from GII and existing investor OAKS. With this, the company is invested in reaching its 1 million units sales target. This will move forward through production capacity expansion, and consolidation of market position to maintain leadership. Plans include investment in new tech, strengthening plants, new product development, and international market expansion.
The first part of their Series B funding of Rs 220 crores was led by Gulf Islamic Investments, and participation from OAKS. Avendus Capital is the exclusive financial advisor to Hero Electric on the transaction. Funding will be streamlined to support the EV industry and ecosystem.
Investment allocation
Investment is allocated to production capacity expansion, consolidating market position for market leadership, investing in future tech, and footprint growth in India, and other markets. With exponential growth and double sales every year in focus, Hero Electric will focus on manufacturing capacity expansion.
Multiple plants will be set up over time. India-centric, flexible, and cost-effective innovations that’ll boost growth in the Indian electric mobility scene are in focus. As the EV market grows, the industry has seen much change in recent years. Recently FAME II policy was revised. Concurrently, state governments are introducing state specific EV policies.
Hero Optima Electric Scooter
Despite the pandemic, Hero Electric is eyeing grow at over 2X over the last fiscal. In time, Hero Electric aims to sell over 1 million units per year. The current round of investment will expand manufacturing capacities, and R&D spend towards product innovation and launches. “Hero is committed to its mission of – No Emission and build a sustainable future that is electric” said, Mr. Naveen Munjal, Managing Director, Hero Electric.
EV Policy initiatives
Hero Electric already reports an upward trajectory. Given current Central and State governments initiatives, the EV industry looks forward to growth. “With this round of initial funding in this series we enhance our market position while maintaining leadership with innovative product offerings for the diverse and demanding customer of today” said Sohinder Gill, CEO Hero Electric.
EV Policy aims to expand the range of EVs, and proposes to improve the full electric vehicle portfolio spanning the segment; motorcycles, scooters and cars over next five years. This will include companies being able to skill their respective networks.
To date, Hero Electric has reskilled 6,000 mechanics across India. The company enjoys 35 percent share, and has sold over 3.5 lakh vehicles thus far. Its City Speed segment electric scooters have done well with retail customers and in the B2B segment. More