Sales of electric vehicles (EV) witnessed a steep rise in Coimbatore in 2022, compared to the previous year, data from the regional transport department shows.
There was a 138% jump in registration of electric light motor vehicles (LMV) and 250% increase in that of two-wheelers compared to 2021. While 1,336 two-wheelers were registered in 2021 in the district, 4,683 were registered in 2022.
According to an EV industry representative, data from regional transport offices (RTO) is only an indicator as a large number of vehicles are sold without registration. Two-wheelers with a maximum speed of 25kmph do not require registration.
The district has seven RTOs, including four in Coimbatore. The rest are in rural areas such as Mettupalayam, Pollachi and Sulur.
Among the RTOs in the city, the highest number of electric two wheeler registration in 2022 took place in the central RTO. While 1,405 vehicles were registered in the central RTO, north witnessed 716 registrations, followed by 685 in south and 698 in west.
In rural areas, Sulur witnessed the highest registration of EVs, followed by Pollachi and Mettupalayam. When it comes to light motor vehicles, 2022 witnessed registration of 398 such vehicles , compared to 167 in 2021.
A transport department official said the number of EVs is set to grow as the industry is slowly maturing. The state government’s recent announcement of extending tax exemption for EVs up to 2025 is expected to encourage more people to make the switch.
Apart from two-wheelers and light motor vehicles, sales of three wheelers are also on the rise, say EV dealers in the city.
Three-wheelers are mostly used for commercial purposes as goods carriers. “Three-wheelers are compact and hence can easily manoeuvre congested streets in commercial hubs such as Town Hall. However, the government is yet to allow battery-operated three-wheelers for public transport. Private three-wheeler passenger vehicles are al – lowed,” said C Sathya chandran, proprietor of Wagon Wheelz.
Lack of charging infrastructure poses a challenge, said a representative of an EV dealer. “There are only four public charging stations in the district. Two-wheelers don’t require charging stations as they are mainly used in the city. More stations should be set up for the benefit of car users,” he added.
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