EV Regns Drop Amid Subsidy Cuts And Charging Concerns

13 Jan 2025 CW Team

Katraj resident Vijaykumar Bhurke, who bought a two-wheeler from a popular brand, last year, was appalled when his bike failed to start in early Nov. "They took almost one-and-a-half months to fix the issue, causing me major hassles. I bought the bike for Rs 1.2 lakh. If my experience with the company went sour, why would I encourage my friends and acquaintances to opt for an electric vehicle," he asked.

Sachin Mahajan, state president of Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), told TOI that the biggest problem was due to the subsidy given to EVs. "In April 2024, the subsidy given to EVs by govt was reduced from Rs 55,000 to Rs 10,000. This resulted in the price of EVs shooting up. Between April and Aug, the EV market plummeted as dealers as well as customers were perplexed," Mahajan told.

Charging EVs was another issue that led to the drop, Mahajan said. Traffic jam and lack of infrastructure too have contributed.

"Too much traffic on the road is resulting in major traffic jams. I have heard from EV owners that they had to switch off the engine and AC and sit it out in the heat to avoid running out of charge. There is a serious lack of charging infrastructure. They are almost non-existent. While the Centre has schemes, they are not being implemented due to red tape," he added.

Sunil Chacco, president (L&D) of Joy e-bikes, blamed it on factors such as "after-sale service concerns" of certain brands and "negative publicity on social media about battery safety"

For the first time in three years, fewer electric vehicles were registered across the state in 2024, largely due to the sudden reduction of the subsidy for EVs, charging worries and after-sales service concerns of some brands. While the state saw a 20% drop in EV registrations in 2024 compared to 2023, the Pune Regional Transport Office recorded an over 32% drop, according to figures retrieved from the Vahan portal of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. In the Pimpri Chinchwad RTO, registrations fell by more than 37% last year compared to 2023. Katraj resident Vijaykumar Bhurke, who bought a two-wheeler from a popular brand, last year, was appalled when his bike failed to start in early Nov. They took almost one-and-a-half months to fix the issue, causing me major hassles. I bought the bike for Rs 1.2 lakh. If my experience with the company went sour, why would I encourage my friends and acquaintances to opt for an electric vehicle, he asked. Sachin Mahajan, state president of Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), told TOI that the biggest problem was due to the subsidy given to EVs. In April 2024, the subsidy given to EVs by govt was reduced from Rs 55,000 to Rs 10,000. This resulted in the price of EVs shooting up. Between April and Aug, the EV market plummeted as dealers as well as customers were perplexed, Mahajan told. Charging EVs was another issue that led to the drop, Mahajan said. Traffic jam and lack of infrastructure too have contributed. Too much traffic on the road is resulting in major traffic jams. I have heard from EV owners that they had to switch off the engine and AC and sit it out in the heat to avoid running out of charge. There is a serious lack of charging infrastructure. They are almost non-existent. While the Centre has schemes, they are not being implemented due to red tape, he added. Sunil Chacco, president (L&D) of Joy e-bikes, blamed it on factors such as after-sale service concerns of certain brands and negative publicity on social media about battery safety

Equipment

11 Dec 2025

Caterpillar Debuts Three New Cat Excavators at EXCON 2025

Caterpillar Inc., a global leader in construction and mining machinery, strengthened its commitment to India’s infrastructure growth with the debut of three new Cat® hydraulic excavators at EXCON 2025, held from December 9–13 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. The new models—Cat 321, Cat 322 and Cat 324—mark a significant step forward in delivering efficient, digital-ready equipment tailored for India’s evolving construction needs.Designed to support sustainability and productivity on modern jobsites, the machines feature advanced powertrains and intelligent electrohy..

Equipment

11 Dec 2025

JK Tyre Expands OTR Lineup with Four New Launches at EXCON 2025

JK Tyre & Industries, one of India’s leading tyre manufacturers, introduced four new Off-the-Road (OTR) tyres at the 13th edition of CII EXCON 2025, South Asia’s largest construction equipment exhibition, underway at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. The latest additions strengthen the company’s OTR portfolio and reaffirm its focus on delivering advanced mobility solutions for construction, mining and industrial operations.The new tyres were unveiled by R Mukhopadhyay, Director (R&D), JK Tyre. Among the highlights was the debut of the SKY GRIP, a specialised tyre des..

Equipment

11 Dec 2025

ACE, Sanghvi Movers Ink MOU to Boost India-Made Heavy Crane Adoption

Action Construction Equipment (ACE), the world’s largest pick-and-carry crane manufacturer and a leading Indian construction equipment maker, has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding with Sanghvi Movers, Asia’s largest and the world’s fifth-largest crane rental company. The partnership aims to accelerate the deployment of indigenously manufactured heavy slew cranes, particularly truck cranes and crawler cranes, across large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects in India.The alliance aligns strongly with the Government of India’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and “M..