The hefty price tags of ₹95,000- ₹1.3 lakh on the electric scooters (e-scooters) is a great dampener when it comes to purchasing them.
But, if you overlook the initial high costs, you could realize that e-scooters can actually save you lots of money over the long term. With petrol prices off the charts at more than ₹100/litre, buying a cheaper electric alternative makes all the more financial sense.
Also, not all electric vehicle manufacturers in India offer e-scooters at expensive rates. Electric scooters from Hero Electric, Okinawa and EeVe India start at a modest range of ₹50,000-56,000.
Coupling this with a host of government introduced incentives and waivers aimed at promoting EV adoption in the country have brought down the purchase prices further.
For instance in August, the ministry of road transport and highways removed fees of issue or renewal of registration certificate on EVs.
For first-time buyers, the government has also introduced tax benefit of up to ₹1.5 lakh on a loan taken to purchase an EV. Some states, too, have doled out incentives over and above benefits offered by the central government.
All these measures have significantly brought down the purchase price for the end-user.
Various studies have also shown that the total cost of ownership of an e–scooter over a six-year period, which is generally the minimum time one owns a two-wheeler for, will translate into total savings of nearly ₹93,000 (We have included the cost of replacing a battery that can cost as high as ₹30,000-40,000).
However, e-scooters result in big savings compared with petrol scooters only when you ride them regularly and for long distances.
Reference- Mint, Auto India, Okinawa website, Bikewale website, Hero Electric website