Why Electric Scooters Are Costly In India?
If there is one aspect of electric vehicles about which the majority of Indians are worried, it is their cost. Having taken decades to develop, electric vehicles are a brand-new product on the market. Their entrance into the market has drawn a lot of interest and criticism. While the majority of experts agree that the timing is perfect for electric vehicles like electric scooters, e bikes, and e-cars to thrive, some critics have expressed discontent with the pricing, which is still thought to be exorbitant when compared to regular petrol vehicles.
Why are electric scooters costly in India?
If you believe that you are the only one in India who finds e-scooters to be expensive, you shouldn’t be concerned. Like you, a lot of individuals are suffering from this. When purchasing their favorite electric scooter in India, several EV lovers also mentioned the same problem.
First of all, the technology that goes into electric scooters is completely new, which is one of the factors contributing to their high price in India. The most expensive part of any electric vehicle, the battery, has undergone extensive development over the years.
In this area, the key challenge for academics and engineers has been dealing with restricted energy storage. Most earlier-stage electric scooter batteries were less effective than current-generation batteries since they could only store energy for a short period of time, but modern-day batteries can store more energy, giving e scooters a greater range or mileage.
One should be aware that battery technology is still developing over time, and as a result, the manufacturing of batteries requires a tremendous amount of expertise. When more effort and research are going into the batteries, it becomes expensive.
In addition, demand and supply also are a factor. If the demand is high and supply is restricted due to limited production, it will automatically push the price. If the demand is low, supply is also limited, and both battery price and electric scooty price will go up.
All electric vehicles are now pricey, claims Anjan Merkap. EVs typically cost around twice as much as equivalent ICE vehicles, but their operating expenses are only 25% of those of ICE vehicles. This is a result of the expensive Li-ion batteries. Almost 60 percent of today’s electric bikes are powered by batteries.
What else is making electric scooters costly in India?
The high price issue was never a concern in the Chinese market for electric vehicles. According to one analyst, China is a major exporter of electric vehicles because the country has millions of them and the production is vast and continuous. In other words, China is already set up to produce and supply the market with millions of electric scooters each year, which is why they are far less expensive there. In China, you can typically buy a high-quality, lightweight smart scooter for less than Rs.15,000.
India simply lacks sophisticated and gigantic production facilities. While popular automakers like Bajaj, TVS, and Hero have lately introduced smart scooters as well, their production facilities are not as big as those of their Chinese competitors.
As a result, you can expect high prices for both battery-powered e bikes and smart electric scooters if you see India as having limited production capacity.
Introduction of Lithium batteries made e scooters more expensive
The expensive battery that is installed in the smart battery scooter is the cause of its high price. As opposed to ordinary, inexpensive VRLA batteries, modern Lithium-ion batteries are now found in practically every fashionable e bike.
For instance, while AMO Electric Bikes Jaunty Plus electric scooter is powered by cutting-edge Li-ion or Lithium-ion battery packs, the company’s newest model, Brisk, is powered by a cost-effective VRLA battery.
Due to its restricted supply, the raw materials used to make lithium batteries are sourced from several nations. Because of this scarce supply, cells are costly, which raises the cost of electric scooters by a good proportion.
Now, you must be thinking does it make any sense to use Li-ion batteries?
The potential of Li-ion batteries to compete with traditional lead-acid batteries is what provides the answer to this query. So first of all, Li-ion batteries normally offer faster-charging speeds, which Indians usually wouldn’t mind.
Furthermore, Li-ion batteries have a high energy density despite their compact size. Consequently, the advanced Li-ion batteries used in battery scooters like Jaunty Plus, Praise Pro, and Ather 450X are able to store enormous amounts of electricity.
The fact that Li-ion batteries are more efficient than lead-acid batteries is the third justification. Conventional battery cells may expend energy both while charging and while remaining dormant. As a result, you receive less energy from ordinary battery cells than from Li-ion battery packs.
A recent study on advanced materials, according to a journal, indicates that there is a good chance that Lithium-ion batteries will continue to advance in terms of cost, energy, safety, and power capabilities and will be a strong contender for some time to come.
Therefore, Li-ion batteries will continue to be tested on sophisticated models by electric scooter manufacturers in India, keeping the price of these specific models high.
However, there is no need to fear because additional advancements in the Li-ion industry would reduce the cost of e scooter batteries in India. Many industries have already established their own Li-ion battery production facilities in India.
The production of Li-ion batteries will increase dramatically by 2025 as many semiconductor companies relocate their headquarters from China to India. As a result, producing advanced batteries will no longer rely on China for raw materials, and India will take the lead in the development of advanced Li-ion battery technology.
Bottom Line;
EVs won’t remain costly after some years as Indian entrepreneurs are already up in arms to boost production facilities of both batteries and electric scooters. With more supply, the demand can be met comfortably, which will also allow more reduction in the prices of electric scooters. When many semiconductor giants have already opened their businesses in India under Make In India project, there will be lesser issues with producing high-end electronics and solutions for advanced battery technology.
