Highest EV Registrations | Recent reports show that Bengaluru has become the city with the most number of registered electric vehicles in the country, surpassing Delhi and Mumbai.
From 2017 – 2023, the city has seen EV adoption grow by 1275%. Karnataka is also home to the most number of chargers in the country.
So what made Bangloreans adopt the EV lifestyle quicker than other states? Let’s find out.
India’s First Commercial Electric Car
While the Lovebird from Eddy Current Controls still remains the first electric car to have been produced in India (1993), unimpressive sales figures led the company to shift its focus to other electric mobility equipment.
REVA from the Bangalore based Reva Electric Car Company was the first commercially successful electric in India. The car was launched all the way back in 2001, while most of the country wasn’t even aware of electric vehicles.
Mahindra bought Reva Electric Car Company in 2012. REVA was launched internationally including the US and UK market and India accounted for 55% of its global sales in 2013. Of this, 40% of the sales were in Bangalore, where the manufacturer is based.
In fact, even when most of the country wasn’t aware of the car, Bangalore was. In a time when public charging stations didn’t exist, many tech parks had already installed chargers in their parking spaces. Why? There was a sizable number of employees who had made the electric switch.
Bangalore and Electric Vehicles
In a very diverse country like India, it is interesting to see the fast-paced adoption of EVs in Bangalore.
As of now, there are 3.4 lakh EVs in Bangalore, of which there are 2.98 lakh two-wheelers, 23,516 four-wheelers and 18,246 three wheelers.
Reports suggest these reasons for the EV trend in Bangalore:
- Tech-savvy workforce
- Zero road tax
- Subsidised electricity
- Rising number of charging station infrastructure
EV users in Bangalore have also been in favour of the switch due to the high amount of traffic in the city. Most do not face any problems with range as their daily travel needs are met on electric two wheelers as well as cars.
EV cars are also preferred for city rides as there’s no vibration felt or engine sound heard. The lack of these make travel during peak traffic hours a lot less tiring compared to ICE vehicles.
Most electric vehicles today are equipped with advanced regen braking systems. This reduces charge consumed for travelling, in turn justifying the cost of ownership for EVs.
With the highest EV registrations in the country, the city is at the forefront of the electric revolution.
Also Read: Regenerative Braking Explained
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