Comment by alephnerd
12 hours ago
> same price range as a mid-range (for India) bike
Or a used Maruti Suzuki.
My relatives from small town India all decided to buy 1-2L used cars instead of an EV Bike when upgrading. The issue is consumers are aspirational, and a two-wheeler just isn't viewed as a positive anymore, as DyCM DK Shivakumar crassly pointed out [0]
That said, I am optimistic about the prospect of EV cars in small town India in the next 5-10 years, as the dealerships also function as EV charge points, and distances traveled are much lower so range anxiety isn't as significant.
[0] - https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/dk-shivak...
Its not just aspirations. Cars are safer and a lot more comfortable - especially air-conditioned cars in a hot climate.
While safety does play a role, it isn't the primary driver of decisions.
For example, if consumers were truly worried about safety, most consumers wouldn't drive without seatbelts or car seats for minors.
Across Asia - be it India, Vietnam, China, or Korea - traditional norms remain strong, and not being able to even afford a $4-6k car bodes poorly on your earning power and thus your marriageability given that traditional status milestones like a 2LDK, kids educated at private school, destination tourism, and higher education abroad are difficult if you cannot afford that.
All that is true, but I was not claiming it is the primary driver, but that safety and comfort mattered too.
With seatbelts I think the biggest problem is most people simply do not understand how much safer you are if you wear seatbelts - people who will pay a premium for a "safer" car and not wear seatbelts.
I as not familiar with the term 2LDK. it seems to be a Japanese term for a two bed flat? The places I know are less crowded and the equivalent would be a house or somewhere a lot bigger (at least for anyone who could afford higher education abroad).
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It seems like this is going to be an infrastructure uh oh situation when enough consumers manage to get cars.
That's why the Indian government has started subsidizing EV bus procurement along with co-financing metro and light rail expansion projects. Most Tier 2/3 cities have Metro, Light Rail, or BRTS projects that are either active, under development, or in the midst of financing.
Tier ? cities like Coimbatore already have great EV penetration compared to the metros. Due to better charging infra, and low 4W penetration. Basically low penetration overall. Of course. Taxis stick to the CNG Dzire, so maruti will always appear really high in market share numbers. And they have the aspirational SUV owner covered too with Ertiga (7 seater for 9L).
Oh yea cities that are Coimbatore, Nagpur, or Ludhiana tier have already seen a boom in car (EV or Gas) sales, but the main market being targeted now is small towns (think Palani, Satara, or Kurkushetra type urban settlements).
Basically, if a Domino's, KFC, Chaayos, Reliance SMART, or Motilal Oswal can operate in that district, it has become a target market for consumers, and most dealflow is now trying to find opportunities to enter that market (eg. Lahori Zeera).