Electric vehicles are becoming the new norm. In India also, with lithium reserves founded in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, we are gearing up to increase its usage. While big cities have already started using it, be it electric cars or scooters, rural India is still not able to catch the bus. The rural population accounts for around 60 percent of the population. This is the untapped market. With mobility technologies like electric bicycles, we can introduce EVs to rural populations. First, let’s talk about the needs of a rural person. They have to go to a nearby town, which is around 10 km away, to buy their necessities. With limited public transport options, it becomes very tiring to go. Usually people opt for a motorcycle to fulfill their needs, but due to rising petrol prices and the high upfront cost to buy it in the first place, it puts a hole in the pocket.

Now coming to the ALL-IN-ONE solution, “ELECTRIC BICYCLE.” The average range of a bicycle is around 30 km, which is enough for daily use. People don’t have to walk long distances, which will reduce their fatigue and save time and energy that can be used elsewhere. EV is light weight, and its ease of use also makes it suitable for women. It has a low cost of maintenance. They are 50-60 percent cheaper than their alternatives (motorbikes). The average charging time is around 2 to 3 hours, for which the electricity consumed is around half unit. If you do the math, the total cost per kilometer is only 12 paise (taking 6rupees per unit) which costs far less than a petrol/diesel. Given the harmful effects of gasoline on nature, it becomes wise to choose EVs over motorcycles. To put the cherry on the cake, EVs can fulfill a desire to own a private vehicle.

With the help of the government, we can speed up EV adaptation. Public awareness has to be increased, and trust has to be developed. Measures like government-backed loans, low-cost EMIs, and zero-down payment EMIs can enable people to buy them. The government should give funding to develop required infrastructure like public charging points and repair centers. Government employees such as ASHA workers, self-help groups, and aganwadi workers, etc., who mostly work in rural areas, can alone create a demand of around 20 lakhs, according to a study by CEEW (Council on Energy, Environment, and Water). With the shift towards EVs, it can increase livelihood opportunities and can become a sustainable transport option for the future…Electric vehicles are becoming the new norm. In India also, with lithium reserves founded in Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand, we are gearing up to increase its usage. While big cities have already started using it, be it electric cars or scooters, rural India is still not able to catch the bus. The rural population accounts for around 60 percent of the population. This is the untapped market. With mobility technologies like electric bicycles, we can introduce EVs to rural populations. First, let’s talk about the needs of a rural person. They have to go to a nearby town, which is around 10 km away, to buy their necessities. With limited public transport options, it becomes very tiring to go. Usually people opt for a motorcycle to fulfill their needs, but due to rising petrol prices and the high upfront cost to buy it in the first place, it puts a hole in the pocket.

Now coming to the ALL-IN-ONE solution, “ELECTRIC BICYCLE.” The average range of a bicycle is around 30 km, which is enough for daily use. People don’t have to walk long distances, which will reduce their fatigue and save time and energy that can be used elsewhere. EV is light weight, and its ease of use also makes it suitable for women. It has a low cost of maintenance. They are 50-60 percent cheaper than their alternatives (motorbikes). The average charging time is around 2 to 3 hours, for which the electricity consumed is around half unit. If you do the math, the total cost per kilometer is only 12 paise (taking 6rupees per unit) which costs far less than a petrol/diesel. Given the harmful effects of gasoline on nature, it becomes wise to choose EVs over motorcycles. To put the cherry on the cake, EVs can fulfill a desire to own a private vehicle.

With the help of the government, we can speed up EV adaptation. Public awareness has to be increased, and trust has to be developed. Measures like government-backed loans, low-cost EMIs, and zero-down payment EMIs can enable people to buy them. The government should give funding to develop required infrastructure like public charging points and repair centers. Government employees such as ASHA workers, self-help groups, and aganwadi workers, etc., who mostly work in rural areas, can alone create a demand of around 20 lakhs, according to a study by CEEW (Council on Energy, Environment, and Water). With the shift towards EVs, it can increase livelihood opportunities and can become a sustainable transport option for the future…