E-autos yet to catch on despite Bengaluru’s EV progress

Bengaluru boasts a commendable adoption rate of Electric Vehicles (EVs); however, the ubiquitous auto-rickshaws seem to have been left behind in this race.

Out of the lakhs of auto-rickshaws that traverse the city roads, only a meagre number of them are e-autos, and a handful have been retrofitted to run on electric power.

C Sampath, general secretary, Adarsh Auto Drivers’ Union, estimates that a mere 1% of the auto-rickshaws are electric. “There are close to 1.5 lakh autos in the city and maybe 1,500 to 2,000 of them are e-autos,” he said.

Drivers say that the high costs of e-autos are a deterrent. “While a new auto costs nearly Rs 2.5 lakh, an e-auto costs Rs 3.5 lakh, retrofitting the older one’s costs Rs 1.5 to Rs 1.75 lakh. No bank gives us loans and the subsidy is so low that many of them cannot afford to pay the remaining and buy e-autos,” said Rudraswamy, an auto driver.

Lack of charging stations is one more hurdle on the way of adoption. “Not enough charging stations are available in every area and where Bescom has set up stations, most are occupied by cars. Unlike personal-use cars and two-wheelers, we cannot wait in line to charge vehicles since we will lose business. There should be a dedicated line for autos,” said Yogesh, who got his auto-rickshaw converted to an electric one in 2021.

A Bescom official said they are open to suggestions from the public. “If auto drivers indicate areas where charging stations are inadequate, we will consider their suggestions,” said an official.

Pawan Mulukutla, director of Integrated Transport and Electric Mobility at World Resources Institute, said there was a need for a government push in the sector. “The EV growth with respect to autos has been slow. Since the huge costs are a deterrent, the government needs to give a push. A subsidy, awareness programme, and loans at low-interest rates will improve the adoption rate,” he said.

Huge benefits

Despite lower adoption rates, drivers of e-autos said the benefits are enormous. An auto driver who retrofitted his vehicle said he hardly spends Rs 50 or Rs 60 for one-time charging that could earn him close to Rs 1,000. Besides, he has also saved money on maintenance, which e-autos barely require.

Charging stations

As of December 31, 2022, Bengaluru had 126 charging stations. The number is consistently improving.

Financial subsidy

The Transport Department gives a financial subsidy of Rs 60,000 for switching to electric autos.