Why EVs have DMU in India?

Few years back, we bought an electric scooter.

Like many early adopters, we were excited, lower running costs, cleaner air, and a little pride in doing the right thing for the planet. It made sense. But two years in, that excitement has been diminishing.

Let’s start with the obvious.

#Charging infrastructure. Outside of metro cities, it’s patchy at best. India had only around 12,146 public EV charging stations as of February 2024, according to government data. Now, funds have allocated to extend to 72,000 EV charging stations as of May 2025. And nearly all of them are concentrated in urban clusters like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Compare that with China’s 3.2 million public charging points as of December 2024. It’s clear we’re yet to catch-up.

So even for a small scooter, we faced queues at fast chargers, and finding a working point during peak hours becomes even more hard. We thought the app-based tracking would help but half the time, either the charger was down or already occupied. Sometimes #charger too its attention.

Then there’s #support and servicing. Minor issues? Maybe weeks of delay. And forget long weekend rides. The range is pretty decent for city commutes, but extended use comes with anxiety, limited backup, and nowhere to recharge mid-journey.

What makes things trickier is the limited market choice. While the EV wave seems busy, the ecosystem is actually dominated by just a few players in the market. So buyers are often left with fewer alternatives, especially when it comes to after-sales service or product configurations. And most newer models have just 2–3 variants, often with minimal difference in top speed or battery range. For a buyer, it feels more like compromise than choice

Now we’re planning to get a four-wheeler. Ideally, we’d stay with the EV path. But when we list the pros and cons, we’re finding that the EV cons outweigh the pros.

Yes, environmental impact matters. That still sits on the conscience. But individual utility?

That first wave had its glow: government subsidies, bragging rights, cleaner fuel, and low maintenance. Now? No subsidies for many, more people on the road, and increasing load on a weak grid.

So even as EV sales increase, each new buyer is getting less utility than the one before. That’s classic diminishing marginal utility.

The next EV decision won’t be about saving the planet alone. It has to also save us time, money, and stress. Until then, the idea might remain in the showroom. Hoping it to change!

Cheers

PS: Not market analysis but honest customer review.

Check out the previous post: When questions burn louder than truth!

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