What India's EV Market Can Learn From The Country's First eRickshaw's Journey

Developed by Saera Electric Auto Private Limited in 2011, Mayuri eRickshaws are now a common sight on city streets.

India has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2070. As part of it, the Centre plans to generate up to 50 percent of its power entirely from non-fossil fuel sources and also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45 percent within this decade. Despite being a high target, it can still be achieved — or nearly achieved — if electric vehicles (EVs) dominate Indian roads in the coming months. In the current scenario, it might be hard to imagine customers opting for an EV rather than a regular combustion-engine car due to issues with logistics and prices. However, India can take a leaf out of the book of Mayuri — the first eRickshaw in the country — to plan a feasible roadmap.

Current EV scenario in India

Before we look to the future, it makes sense to look at the present situation first. As per a May 2022 report by the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the automobile industry of India is the fifth biggest in the world and is expected to climb up to the third rank by 2030. 

According to India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) data, the EV industry in India is expected to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36 percent. Within this decade, NITI Aayog plans to achieve EV sales penetration in tune of 70 percent for all commercial cars, 30 percent for private cars, 40 percent for buses, and 80 percent for two-wheelers. 

Nearly 0.32 million EVs were sold in India in 2021, registering a year-on-year (YoY) growth of a whopping 168 percent. Uttar Pradesh led all other Indian states with the highest share in EV sales, at 66,704 units. This is followed by Karnataka’s 33,302 units and Tamil Nadu’s 30,036 units. Uttar Pradesh ruled the three-wheeler category, while the two-wheeler and four-wheeler segments were led by Karnataka and Maharashtra, respectively. This growth can be largely attributed to government initiatives, including helpful policies and programmes.

Several popular car manufacturers have already forayed into EV launches in India, such as Tata, Hyundai, Mahindra, and MG. While these vehicles are generally meant for well-to-do urban dwellers, we still need to consider tier-2 and tier-3 cities, as well as public transportation drivers. 

Here’s where Mayuri’s journey can come in handy.

The story behind Mayuri’s conception

Launched by New Delhi-based Saera Electric Auto Private Limited, Mayuri eRickshaw has a touching origin story. In the summer of 2010, Saera Chairman Vijay Kapoor was taking a ride on a traditional cycle rickshaw through the bustling streets of Chandni Chowk. “During his trip, he noticed the intense efforts taken by the rickshaw puller to navigate through the crowded bylanes, which wasn’t commensurate with the money he received from passengers,” said Saera Managing Director Nitin Kapoor.

Vijay Kapoor would then go on to speak with other rickshaw pullers and was moved by the severe conditions they were working under, including Delhi’s extreme weather conditions as well as the extensive physical strain they face daily. So, to make their work easier, he developed a simple version of today’s eRickshaws. Saera launched the first model in 2011.

How did Mayuri evolve over the years?

As per Nitin Kapoor, at the time, there was no infrastructure available to make or operate eRickshaws. For starters, nobody was ready to manufacture tyres for eRickshaws. So, Saera had to go on and develop their own tyres. 

“There were no vendors in India making e-rickshaw batteries at that time,” said Kapoor. “Hence, we had to impart technical knowledge to third-party vendors, showing them how to assemble a battery pack and charger. Today, the infrastructure to manufacture an eRickshaw is readily available.”

To penetrate the market, Saera began by providing eRickshaws for free to rickshaw pullers. First in the Tagore Garden area, this pilot programme then spread to other parts of Delhi. 

“Initially we were manufacturing five units a day,” Kapoor said, adding that the company also provided the SMPS battery charger to the drivers, who can charge their eRickshaw batteries by plugging into any regular 200V AC socket. 

It took Saera nearly six to seven months to sell their first Mayuri unit. The word-of-mouth promotion that the free eRickshaw model received worked wonders. “Very soon, we saw so much demand that there used to be waiting periods of 45-60 days for each unit of eRickshaws,” said Kapoor. 

Over the years, Saera has sold over 2 lakh Mayuri units across cities such as Delhi, Noida, Chandigarh, Prayagraj, Agra, Lucknow, Dehradun, Bhopal, Ludhiana, Patna, and Guwahati.

Today, four models of Mayuri eRickshaws are available for purchase — Mayuri Pro (priced at Rs 1.26 lakhs), Mayuri Deluxe (Rs 1.28 lakhs), Mayuri Grand (Rs 1.35 lakhs), and the commercial usage-friendly Mayuri E-Cart (Rs 1.35 lakhs). 

The design and technology of Mayuri also evolved over the years to suit rickshaw drivers’ needs. Mayuri upgraded to four- and six-seater models to help drivers accommodate more riders on their rickshaws and earn more money. 

“The biggest problem for the Indian market was when we made an eRickshaw for two people, drivers were seating four people. When we made it for four people, they were seating six. We had to regularly redesign the main chassis,” explained Kapoor. 

Notable improvements were made to the battery tech and overall design to allow for a better range in smaller charging hours. Mayuri units initially offered a range of 30-40 km on a single 8-hour charge. Now, they offer a range of 100 km on a single 2-hour charge. 

"In general, the life of eRickshaw if maintained properly would extend to six to seven years," said Kapoor. "Our first generation of eRickshaws are still running on roads no one has come to us for buy back so far. The battery fetches some good  value for the owner once it completes its product life cycle." 

Currently, Saera is selling the eighth generation of Mayuri eRickshaws. 

So, what can be learnt from Mayuri’s journey so far?

For starters, keep the customer in mind. Mayuri was designed to benefit rickshaw pullers. Saera listened to regular inputs from its customers and continued developing its product accordingly, from adding more seats to offering better mileage. 

Secondly, patience is the key. Mayuri didn’t take off immediately. It took months before Saera could sell its first units and even after that, it took years for Mayuri eRickshaws to become a common sight on city streets. This is applicable to the general EV sector. Since it is still a new technology, it will take time for customers to warm up to EVs. Seeing the YoY growth EV sales saw in 2021, it’s safe to speculate that EV sales will only increase as more affordable vehicles are launched and more charging stations are set up across the country.

Saera ensured that Mayuri went through rigorous testing from agencies like the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) to ensure the safety of the vehicle. The company also took clearance from the Road Transport Office (RTO) before running its vehicles — as is the case with any other vehicles plying the roads today.

Most importantly, the Centre’s support is essential for EV offerings like Mayuri to find momentum. When Mayuri was launched, Kapoor said that the ICAT didn’t have any rules or regulations for eRickshaws. "A bill to regularise eRickshaws and provide for driving licenses for battery-operated vehicles was introduced in Lok Sabha in December 2014 and subsequently passed by both houses," said Kapoor. "These rules and regulations were then passed on to the respective RTOs and these cleared up all the legal concerns."

As India’s EV journey is on a fast track, a KPMG India report suggested that around 45-50 million EVs could ply the country’s roads by 2030. For now, it’s a game of wait-and-watch.

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