Electric scooters are environmentally friendly because they neither create air pollution nor noise pollution. They are ideal vehicles for short-distance travel without any hassle. Although petrol scooters have dominated the market, electric scooters are replacing petrol scooters slowly due to their suitable features and pollution-free operations. The foreign countries have already adopted electric scooters to a great extent but in India, it has just started due to the recent changes in the Government’s policy towards the Electric Vehicles (EV) industry.

A total of 2,33,971 electric scooters were sold in 2021 with 1,42,829 registrations of high-speed electric scooters, which was a 132% rise in electric scooter sales compared to 2020. The retail sales value of EVs is expected to cross $1 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 63.9% during the 2020-2025 period. Most people are not showing interest in buying new electric scooters due to the availability of fewer charging stations, fewer technicians for EV repair and maintenance, and limited range. One major constraint to buying a new electric scooter is the budget — new electric scooters cost more than petrol scooters even though electric scooters’ running cost is less. The main reason for the high cost is the lack of competition in the electric vehicle industry, and battery technology is still advancing, requiring four to five hours of charge time. Are you willing to prefer an electric scooter over a petrol scooter but cannot go ahead due to budget constraints? This article provides information on converting your existing petrol scooter to an electric scooter with minimal spending.

How to overcome the budget constraint of electric scooters?

Whatever technology comes into the market, it should be affordable to the common people in order to bring a change. Currently, budget constraint is stopping common people from buying new electric scooters. For every technological constraint, there is a solution. Our engineers have developed the idea of retrofitting scooters. A retrofit electric scooter is a petrol scooter converted to electric where its internal combustion engine and petrol tanks are replaced by an electric propulsion kit and battery respectively. A retrofit saves a lot of money because you do not have to buy a new scooter that costs more — instead you can convert your existing petrol scooter to electric with the least spending.

The soaring petrol price in recent years has also compelled common Indians to shift towards the consumption of clean energy. Last year petrol was recorded at Rs. 116 per liter in a few cities of India and common people found it uneconomical. Short-distance commuters like delivery executives, courier personnel, milkmen, and other riders find electric scooters economical compared to petrol scooters. The running cost of a retrofit electric scooter is as low as Rs. 0.17 per km whereas for a petrol scooter it is Rs. 3.5 per km — about 20 times higher.

Benefits of the retrofit scooter over the new electric scooter:

For common people, it becomes difficult to purchase a new petrol or electric scooter by selling the old scooter. The on-road price of a new scooter is around ₹1.5 lakh which is too high, and soaring petrol prices make running costs uneconomical, creating a big problem for everyday commuters. The electric propulsion kit (EPK) is the best solution to this problem. Starya’s quality-engineered EPK 1.0 is affordable and costs only ₹35,000/-, making electric vehicle technology more accessible for the average family. This is about one-third the price of a new electric scooter. People need not have to buy a new scooter — instead they can opt for retrofitting their scooter by purchasing Starya’s petrol to electric scooter conversion kit. In comparison to a petrol scooter, a retrofit electric scooter can save around ₹80,000/- annually assuming the scooter runs 2000 km per month. So converting your existing petrol scooter to an electric scooter has multiple advantages and benefits from saving money to cutting emissions. With your retrofit electric scooter, say no to greenhouse gases and say hello to mother nature.

Why converting your existing petrol scooter is better than buying a new electric scooter

Converting your existing petrol scooter is better than buying a new electric scooter because you save a lot of money — about a lakh rupees — with this move. You also reuse your old scooter instead of throwing it away, turning your polluting machine into a completely eco-friendly one that delivers similar performance at a lower cost. Although a new electric scooter has more features and comfort compared to a retrofit electric scooter, it costs much more. Greater luxury means greater cost — which is the rule of nature. For most people, converting their existing petrol scooter is the better idea.

Some facts about Electric Scooters in India:

Below are some facts extracted from the “Indian Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Market Overview” report published in August 2020 by Prescient & Strategic Intelligence:

• Two-wheeler vehicles hold the largest vehicle share in India with a 70% share of 200 million vehicles on the road and 80% of new vehicle sales every year.
• Low-speed electric scooters are expected to dominate the EV market by 2025.
• 48 V Li-ion batteries are the most commonly used power source in the Indian electric scooters and motorcycle market, with an 85% sales volume in 2019.
• Electric scooter sales through online channels are surging.
• Electric scooters equipped with Li-ion batteries are the fastest-growing segment.
• Electric scooters and motorcycles are increasingly used by businesses.
• Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu are among the fastest-growing markets for electric scooters, with Karnataka leading growth.
• Electric scooters and motorcycles could be made more affordable by reducing the price of Li-ion batteries, since batteries constitute 40–50% of the total EV cost.