Top 10 electric three-wheeler in India- Passenger
Modified On Feb 28, 2022 03:36 PM
The electric auto-rickshaw segment is booming in India with increasing sales across cities, towns and rural areas. What makes them special- affordable price, easy to drive and lower operating cost are among the key factors for high customer interest. If you’re planning to buy one, we bring you the list of the top 10 e-rickshaw that are on sale.
India’s last-mile mobility sector is undergoing a fundamental shift with customers' clear preference for battery electric vehicles. The sales of full-electric three-wheelers also known as e-rickshaw are rising month on month and are likely to accelerate as battery prices expected to fall. While this shift is attributed to several key elements like affordability, lower operating costs and maintenance, the rising fuel prices further tilted the market towards e-rickshaw.
To cater for the increasing customer demand, several brands-established and some new ones are competing to make a mark in this emerging market. Since the market is at an early stage, it will take a while before a clear winner emerges, however, the e-rickshaw that are now selling in India are promising value for money propositions along with durability and reliable performance.
So is it the right time to move to an e-rickshaw rather than the IC engine ones? Well, looking at the operating economics- the answer seems overwhelming yes. And if you’re in the market looking for an e-rickshaw we list the top 10 vehicles in the category that you explore before picking one.
1) Mahindra Treo
Mahindra Electric is among the first major OEMs to enter the EV market much before it took off. This early foray has worked well with several EV products in the market by the company, taking an early lead against its rivals. Identifying the enormous opportunity in the last-mile mobility segment, Mahindra has introduced the all-new EV three-wheeler platform, the Treo with multiple variants to address customers needs. Within a short period, the Treo and Treo Yaari- a bigger variant of the same e-rickshaw became popular among customers.
Treo comes with a segment-best 10hp of power and high torque of 42 Nm complemented by a 49V lithium-ion battery. The driving range is 131 km with a top speed of 55 kmph. Treo truly is a modern e-rickshaw that promises a lot viz-a-viz the conventional engine powered vehicles. Mahindra is offering a lot of groundbreaking features like connetivity, live tracking, telematics, App with the Treo to help customers run an efficient, value for money and environment-friendly vehicle for daily business to earn higher profit.
2) Piaggio Ape E-City
Another established three-wheeler maker, Piaggio is aiming big in the EV segment. The company knows the three-wheeler market with its strong position with a the famous Ape range of vehicles and deeper understanding of the local makret along widest network. To take an early lead, Piaggio has introduced several EV vehicles and the Ape E City is one key product in the segment. E-City comes with a 7hp of maximum power and 29 Nm of impressive torque for all your daily driving needs with a quality 48V lithium-ion battery.
The top speed is 45 kmph and the driving range is about 110 km, the brakes are hydraulically actuated drum type. The front and rear suspension is a hydraulic telescopic, shock absorber with helical compression spring with damper type.
3) Atul Auto Elite Plus
Atul Auto needs no introduction in the affordable three-wheeler market in India, as the company has been an established 3W brand with high market penetration. Again, not to stay behind the top brands, Atul Auto has been at the forefront in bringing locally developed electric vehicles addressing both the passenger and cargo segments.
The Elite Plus is an e-rickshaw for last-mile mobility needs that comes with Atul Auto brand attributes of performance, reliability and affordability. The Elite Plus get 1 kW of power, a BLDC and a top speed of 24 kmph and a driving range of 80-100 km in a single charge.
4) Kinetic Green Safar Smart
Kinetic Green is another brand that is trying to take on established players with its range of electric vehicles that is designed and developed in locally for Indian driving and operating conditions. Kinetic Green's range of EVs includes both passengers, commercial three-wheelers and two-wheelers too. In the last-mile mobility, three-wheeler category, you can buy the Kinetic Safar Smart a strong three-wheeler. The Safar Smart offers you 80 km of range in a single charge with a BLDC motor.
5) Mahindra E-Alfa Mini
Mahindra has another e-rickshaw in the segment- the E-Alfa mini available at an affordable price with the promise of greater performance. The key figures of the E-Alfa mini include 2 hp of maximum power and 3.2 Nm of torque with a BLDC motor of 1000 W and a certified range of approximately 85 km. It has a day type cabin, the overall length is 2768 mm, the height of 1794 mm, a width of 995 and ground clearance of 195 mm. The seating configuration is driver plus 4 passengers.
6) Deltic Star
A new local player in the domestic market Deltic is offering some key affordable, value for money e-rickshaws that are specially designed for Indian driving and operating conditions. The Deltic Star is a powerful three-wheeler that promises superior built quality, power and long-range batteries.
7) EVEX India Ranger
EVEX India is offering an affordable e-rickshaw the Ranger that would be a good option for all your daily passenger carrier needs. The company says the range on this e-rickshaw is between 80-100 km in a single charge.
8) Kinetic Green DX
Another promising you could choose from Kinetic Green is the DX which comes with a certified 80 km range in a single charge with both the lead-acid and lithium-ion battery options. The DX is packed with a BLDC motor with a maximum speed of 25 kmph with a range of close to 100 km in a single charge. The DX has a capacity of the driver plus 4 passengers with a comfortable passenger cabin with adequate leg and headroom.
9) Star Electrika A1
The Star is another domestic player that retails the Electrika A1 E-rickshaw. Electrika A1 comes with a lot of segment-best features superior built quality, and a lead-acid battery that takes about 8-10 hours of charging time. The company is promising a quite affordable price, lower running and maintenance cost.
10) S N Solar Energy E Rickshaw
SN Solar Energy offers a range of passenger and cargo electric vehicles. And the E Rickshaw is a fully battery operated passenger carrier that comes with a max speed of 40 kmph, supported by a 60V BLDC motor with a certified range of nearly 100 km in a single charge.
In this price-sensitive 3W vehicle segment, the customers are getting an extensive choices of vehicles that comes with different technologies and price points. The old lead-acid battery vehicles are much more affordable but the battery weight and longer charging time take out the advantage of price. However, the modern lithium-ion batteries are lightweight and relatively fast chargers but they are pricier. The vehicle makers are offering both options with different price ranges. While the battery technologies are rapidly evolving, the rising volume and economy of scale are likely to bring down the prices of batteries even further, which would make the EVs more compelling. So before that happens, choose the right e-rickshaw vehicle that suits your application and budget.
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