EV registrations likely to rise amid fuel price hike & austerity measures

Pune: The fuel price hike, coupled with the calls for austerity measures, is expected to trigger a major boost in electric vehicle (EV) sales, particularly two-wheelers, dealers and experts have said.

The Pune RTO has already seen the trend, with over 13,000 EVs registered between Feb and early May. Sachin Mahajan, president of the Maharashtra chapter of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (Fada), said registrations were likely to surpass previous years’ numbers despite infrastructure challenges.

“The registration of electric two-wheelers would definitely spiral up. However, the thing with two-wheelers is that they generally do not need charging infrastructure, as users charge them at home. The same could not be the case for four-wheelers. Unfortunately, the infrastructure needed for them has almost been non-existent,” Mahajan said.

Amar J Sheth, secretary of Fada, told TOI that EV adoption has steadily been increasing. “At present, while electric two-wheelers have a penetration of 4% in the market, four-wheelers have 7%. Sales will improve further this year amid the current circumstances, but we need to consider tier-2 and tier-3 cities as well. Electric vehicles shouldn’t be centred only in the urban market. We need high-speed charging points at different places, including small cities and towns,” he told TOI.

He added that the Centre should push the vehicle scrapping policy aggressively before expecting wider EV adoption in smaller markets.

An EV dealer in Pune said bookings rose sharply over the last year. “On average, we used to book around 4-5 electric two-wheelers per month in 2024. The numbers climbed to 10-15 in 2025. Since Feb this year, the average number of bookings has sharply increased to over 30. However, almost all electric vehicle customers enquire about charging points, their locations and long-distance travel,” he said.

Mahajan said Fada had raised the infrastructure issue with the state govt. “With sales set to increase, pushing for a better infrastructure would be our priority. Every petrol pump and MSRTC depot should have charging stations. Unlike petrol or diesel vehicles, people have to wait for EVs to charge. This mental shift would only happen once infrastructure improves,” he said. He, however, underlined delays in subsidy payments from vehicle manufacturers to dealers.

Rajeev YSR, an EV expert, told TOI that India’s EV market was at a turning point. “With fuel price shooting up and austerity measures in place, EV adoption is likely to accelerate significantly over the next 12-18 months. The transition to electric mobility was no longer only about sustainability; it has increasingly become an economic decision. I expect EV passenger vehicle sales in India to cross 3.5-4 lakh units in FY26, up from approximately 2.3 lakh units in FY25. It would account for nearly 55-60% YoY growth, primarily driven by consumers who were previously undecided about switching to electric mobility,” he told TOI.

According to Pune RTO data, 37,470 EVs were registered in 2025 against 35,995 in 2024. “Electric two-wheeler registrations dipped last year. This calendar year is expected to be the highest ever. The state has an EV policy which provides incentives and subsidies,” an RTO official said.