Commercial Vehicles

Image – SPS CarsBajaj Auto Limited was the only three wheeler maker to cross the 10,000 unit mark in terms of retail sales last month
As per data released by Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), three wheeler retails increased substantially YoY. Retail sales which stood at 16,923 units in August 2020 increased to 30,410 units in the past month. This increase in sales indicates improvements in market conditions following months of slower sales.
Top 3 Three Wheeler Brands Aug 2021
Bajaj Auto Limited once again commanded this list. It was also the only three wheeler maker to record retail sales above the 10,000 unit mark. Sales in August 2021 stood at 11,006 units, up from 6,444 units sold in August 2020. Market share however dipped from 38.08 percent held in August 2020 to 36.19 percent in the past month.
Piaggio Vehicle retails stood at 3,841 units in the past month with a market share of 12.63 percent. This was as against retails of 3,701 units and a market share of 21.87 percent held in August 2020. In the past month, Three Wheels United (TWU) Bengaluru-based financier of light electric vehicles, entered into a partnership with Piaggio Vehicles to accelerate adoption of electric Three-wheelers in India. Under this partnership, Three Wheels United will deploy 500 Piaggio Ape’ E City and Ape’ E-Xtra vehicles across India.
YC Electric, Atul Auto, Mahindra
At No. 3 was YC Electric with three wheeler retails at 1,187 units, up from 572 units retailed in August 2020. Market share also increased marginally from 3.38 percent to 3.90 percent YoY.
Three Wheeler Retail Sales Aug 2021 – FADA
Another three wheeler maker to note increased retails was Atul Auto with retails increasing from 627 units sold in August 2020 to 1,133 units in the past month. It may also be recalled that earlier this year, Atul Auto became the first 3 wheeler automaker to partner CSC Grameen eStore, an e-commerce initiative by CSC eGovernance Services India Ltd thus enabling the company to promote digital ordering and delivery in rural areas.
Mahindra three wheeler sales also surged from 290 units in August 2020 to 1,111 units in the past month while market share increased substantially from 1.71 percent held in August 2020 to 3.65 percent last month. Mahindra Reva electric sales stood at 616 units, up from 225 units sold in same month last year.
Saera, TVS, Champion, Thukral
Saera Electric three wheeler retails increased two fold from 371 units retailed in August 2021 to 606 units in the past month TVS Motors also added to their retail sales which stood at 603 units in the past month over 411 units retailed in August 2020.

No
Rickshaw / 3W Sales
Aug-21
Aug-20
%

1
Bajaj
11,006
6,444
70.79

2
Piaggio
3,841
3,701
3.78

3
YC Electric
1,187
572
107.52

4
Atul
1,133
627
80.70

5
Mahindra
1,111
290
283.10

6
Mahindra Reva
616
225
173.78

7
Saera Electric
606
371
63.34

8
TVS
603
411
46.72

9
Champion Polyplast
567
146
288.36

10
Dilli Electric
443
150
195.33

11
Thukral Electric
402
148
171.62

12
Best Way Agencies
396
114
247.37

13
Unique International
382
121
215.70

14
JS Auto
344
121
184.30

15
Vani Electric
335
237
41.35

16
Mini Metro
311
117
165.81

17
Others + EV
7,127
3,128
127.85

–
Total
30,410
16,923
79.70

Other automakers such as Champion Poly Plast, Dilli Electric, Thukral Electric and Unique International all posted YoY growth in retails along with increase in market shares. Other three wheeler makers reported sales of 7,127 units in August 2021 up from 3,128 units retailed in the same month of the previous year. More

Omega Seiki Electric CV – India’s First Electric Small Commercial Vehicle (SCV)Prices of M1KA will be announced at the time of its launch which is expected to take place by the end of this year or early next year
Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM) has unveiled the country’s first battery-powered small commercial vehicle (SCV) named M1KA. Bookings of this vehicle will commence from the last quarter of 2021. OSM ‘M1KA’ is designed to live up to the expectation of common folks with a small business.
The company claims M1KA offers best-in-class performance, dependability, and a value proposition with lower TCO. Currently, this segment of commercial vehicles is dominated by players such as Tata Ace, Maruti Suzuki Super Carry, Mahindra Jeeto and Ashok Leyland Dost but all powered by IC engines.
Details on M1KA
The small carrier will be manufactured at the company’s facility in Faridabad. Powering M1KA is an electric motor that derives its energy from an NMC-based battery pack with a rated capacity of 90kWh. The manufacturer claims a maximum range of 250km on a single charge. Using a DC fast charging station, it takes four hours for the battery to rejuvenate. It has an impressive payload capacity of two tonnes. Underpinning the SCV is a chassis with superior tensile strength.
Suspension setup comprises six leaf springs at front and seven at rear which makes it proficient on every terrain. M1KA has been equipped with a large loading bay which is highly suitable for heavy as well as voluminous load. M1KA has been targeted at a segment that is a combination of owners-cum-drivers and fleet owners, for whom cost-effectiveness is a major business criterion.
Omega Seiki Electric CV
On the occasion of its unveiling, Uday Narang, Founder and Chairman of OSM said, “EV market is growing especially in the Commercial Vehicle space on the back of cost-effectiveness, sustainable solution and the increasing support from the central and the state Government. The current SOPs and favourable environment motivate us to expand our EV offerings for our customers.”
The company says that the SCV could be used for a variety of businesses such as courier, goods distribution, E-commerce and FMCG amongst others. OSM has been trying to push itself hard into the electric mobility space in India.
Other offerings from OSM
A few days ago, OSM announced that a US-based technology provider named C4V will be supplying the Delhi-based firm next generation high-performance lithium-ion batteries from its cell manufacturing joint ventures. These batteries will be utilised for future electric mobility of the company.
Earlier last month, the EV manufacturer announced its entry into the two-wheeler space by unveiling two electric scooters named Fiare and Zoro. These scooters were presented at the company’s new state-of-the-art flagship showroom in Pune. OSM set foot in the Indian automobile industry in early 2020 with the debut of Rage3+ which was the first electric three-wheeler for commercial purposes in the country. More

Vega ETX Electric Rickshaw Concept 2022Vega ETX derives its power from a solar panel fixed to its roof
Like it or not but battery power sources will replace internal combustion engines (ICE) in almost all automobiles in the coming few years. Tighter emission norms and rising fuel prices have only accelerated the transition process. Not just passenger vehicles and two-wheelers but commercial vehicles and shared mobility are also part of this transition.
Market for rickshaws or Tuk Tuks in South Asia
Three-wheeler auto-rickshaw, commonly referred to as Tuk Tuks in India and few other Southeast Asian countries, is still the most prominent form of public transport. In many places in India, diesel and petrol auto-rickshaws have already started facing sanctions and would soon disappear from the auto market.
The immediate solution is to shift to a CNG powertrain, however, sooner or later, all commercial three-wheelers would have to shift to an electric powertrain. In recent times, there have been a few options in the Indian market that have been responsible for the increase in share of electric three-wheelers in the country. However, none of them come from a prominent brand barring Mahindra Treo.
Vega ETX details
A Sri Lankan EV startup named Vega recently has revealed its upcoming electric rickshaw which goes by the name ETX. The first two letters of the acronym stand for electric three-wheeler while the significance of letter X is not yet known. At the moment, the rickshaw is just at a prototype stage and sadly there aren’t many specific details attached to it.
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In a short statement released on their social media handle, Vega has said that the ETX platform is an electric urban mobility solution for the future. It is a next-generation electric three-wheeler designed for safe, environmentally friendly, and economical urban mobility. The vehicle has been provided luggage space in addition to space for general passengers in order to transport goods.
Vega ETX Electric Rickshaw is powered by an electric motor that draws energy from LFP battery packs to maintain affordability. The primary highlight is the addition of a solar panel roof which avoids owners frequently quest for a charging point.
The battery can recover up to 64 kms per day only with its solar panels. Even though the panels are of smaller size, the nature of business allows the panels to be charged for most parts of the day.
This will also translate to even lesser running costs thus proving to be a very affordable means of public transportation. The company plans to introduce this vehicle not just in Sri Lanka but also in other South Asian countries where Tuk Tuks form a crucial part of public commutes. Vega plans to release a production-spec model based on the ETX sometime next year. More

Image – Technical WingsAuto Rickshaw and 3 Wheeler sales increased 21.98 percent YoY in June 21
As per retail sales figures released by Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), auto rickshaw and three wheeler registrations in India stood at 14,732 units. This was a YoY increase of 21.98 percent over 12,077 units sold in June 20. However, comparing last month’s sales with that of June 19, a 69.82 percent de-growth was noted. The figures are collated as on 6th July 21 in collaboration with Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India and gathered from 1,295 out of 1,498 RTOs.
Bajaj, Piaggio YoY De-Growth
Two and three-wheeler manufacturer Bajaj Auto Limited noted registration of 4,925 auto-rickshaws and three wheelers in June 21. The company held a market share of 33.43 percent. However, sales were better in June 20 when 4,996 units had been sold while market share held stood at 41.3 percent.
Piaggio Vehicles, another leading three wheeler maker in India, also suffered a YoY de-growth both in terms of retail sales and market share. Ongoing pandemic, lockdowns across various states, increasing fuel prices and subdued buyer sentiments could all be reasons for this negative impact.
Noting good demand for the Ape E-Xtra FX and for the 2021 version of its passenger e-three wheeler, Ape E-City, sales in the past month stood at 2,258 units with market share of 15.33 percent. However, this was marginally lower as compared to 2,346 units sold in June 20 when the company also held a higher market share of 19.43 percent.
Three Wheeler Sales June 2021 – FADA
Mahindra was the third best-selling OEM in terms of three wheeler retails. June 21 sales were at 657 units up from 293 units sold in June 20. Market share also increased from 2.43 percent to 4.46 percent YoY. The current month could see sales increase as Mahindra has collaborated with Magenta, electric mobility solutions provider. The company is set to deploy 100 units of Treo Zor three-wheeler in Bengaluru for last-mile delivery of both essential and non-essential items.
Lower down the order was Rajkot-based three-wheeler maker Atul Auto Ltd with 594 three wheelers sold in the past month, up from 93 units sold in June 20. Market share jumped from 0.77 percent to 4.03 percent YoY.
Electric Three Wheeler Sales June 2021
Automobile dealers’ body FADA data shows that YC Electric Limited accounted for 539 unit sales of three wheelers in June 21, holding a market share of 3.66 percent. Though sales were lower in June 20 at 473 units, market share in that month had been higher at 3.92 percent. YC Electric offers the Yatri Auto E Rickshaw, with 4 seater capacity.
Delhi based Saera Electric contributed 295 units to this segment, commanding a market share of 2 percent in June 21. Sales in June 20 had stood at 282 units with market share of 2.34 percent. In the electric vehicle three wheeler space was also Mahindra Reva with 273 units retailed in the past month, up from 203 units of June 20 while Champion Poly Plast (269 units) and TVS Motor (226 units) also contributed a few units to total three wheeler sales along with JS Auto ( 03 units), Dilli Electric (192 units) and Best Way (170 units) in the past month. Others in the same segment saw total retails at 3,976 units, holding a market share of 26.99 percent, up from 2,788 units sold in June 20 with market share of 23.09 percent. More

Ampere Electric RickshawThe company claims that as compared to the conventional petrol powered auto rickshaw, Ele e-rickshaw will relate to savings up to Rs 2 per km
Ampere Electric has launched a new website, which draws attention to the company’s new-rickshaw brand ELE, which targets B2B customers especially in semi urban and rural areas. The website lists out details of products with emphasis on smart driving, sustainability and lower cost of operation along with lower maintenance cost and added saving to buyer.
It has helped to offer added employment in the smaller towns and cities across India in Q4 2021 recorded 104 percent growth over the same period last quarter. Demand is particularly noteworthy in North and North Eastern markets boosted by a strong network of 165 dealerships across the country.
Savings
Ampere Electric claims that the ELE e-rickshaw is highly cost effective and when compared to conventional auto rickshaws, saves owners upto Rs 2 per km. It is convenient for last mile shared mobility solutions offering employment to auto drivers, rickshaw pullers, migrant workers and also to the youth in rural areas and smaller towns and cities.
The ELE e-rickshaw helps to reduce upto 4 lakh metric tons of CO2 emissions and is currently rated among the top 3 brands with over 10,000 units sold to date and clocking use of over 374 kms over the years. The ELE e-rickshaw segment has seen outstanding growth over the past year.
Ampere Electric Rickshaw
As the company focuses on expanding its share in this segment, new initiatives are being planned. New dealership applications are being fast-tracked and the company has entered into alliance with several financing companies to offer buyers attractive financial options with easy EMIs and low down payments.
With ELE e-rickshaws, Ampere is also showing its support to the Government of India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat by helping people at the bottom of the pyramid. You can take a look at the new website here.
Ampere Two Wheeler price cut
Following the recent revision in the FAME II subsidy, Ampere has cut prices of its electric bike range upto Rs 9,000. The revised prices now stand at Rs 59,990 and Rs 65,990 for Zeal and Magnus Pro model respectively. The company stated that the Ampere scooters are being used extensively during the second wave of COVID-19 in particular for home delivery of essential goods and services.
This year, Greaves Cotton Limited, plans on spending Rs 110 crores on its electric two wheeler plant in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu from where the company plans to roll out roll out two wheelers by the end of this year. According to company’s statement, initially, the plant production capacity could be around 1 lakh units annually to be increased to one million units gradually. More