Owning electric autorickshaws can be 13-46 per cent cheaper in Kochi than the autorickshaws currently plying in the Kerala city, according to new study released today by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). Further, by catalysing the electric autorickshaw market, Kochi could have a 100 per cent EV autorickshaw fleet by 2030 instead of 20 per cent e-autos penetration in a business-as-usual scenario. The electric autorickshaw offers a number of advantages, including reduced maintenance costs and lower costs of operations. The study, India's EV Transition: Catalysing e3W Market via Local Policy Action, was launched at the Urban Mobility India conference 2022 being held in Kochi.

A 100 per cent transition to e-autos in Kochi could create a demand for 32,000 e-autorickshaws by 2030. However, local policy action is required to spur the market for electric three-wheelers or e3W, which is a clear option for lowering emissions and enhancing livelihoods at the same time. 

Himani Jain, Senior Programme Lead, CEEW, said: “There is a sizable potential for the auto-rickshaw industry in Kochi as an intermediate public transportation option. An early and scaled transition towards e-autorickshaws in Kochi will set an example and further enhance their visibility, and thus adoption across cities. This inclusive EV transition in India can be easily scaled and accelerated through local policy action to capitalise larger environmental benefits. Across the Global South, autorickshaws in various forms, from Tuk-tuks in Southeast Asia, Bajaje in Africa to Cocotaxis in Cuba, are popular shared modes for medium distance. The can be leveraged by Indian OEMs to substantially increase their exports and capture the Global South IPT markets.”

The efforts, opinions and challenges faced by the local autorickshaw unions such as Ernakulam Jilla Auto-Rickshaw Drivers' Co-Operative Society (EJADCS) to switch to e-autos has been highlighted in order to better the lives of drivers. The study reviews the market choices for the e-auto segment in Kochi, considers concepts of retrofitting and progressive scrapping of older vehicles, and places emphasis on 10 city-level informational, organisational, and infrastructure-related local policy actions by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

The study India's Electric Vehicle Transition: Catalysing Kochi’s Electric 3-Wheeler Market through Local Policy can be accessed here.  

Contact: Riddhima Sethi (CEEW), [email protected]; Mihir Shah (CEEW), [email protected]