Mahindra Electric Mobility, Mahindra & Mahindra’s subsidiary operating in the e-vehicle space, has plans to sell approximately 20,000 units of its electric three-wheelers over the next 18 months, as reported by Business Standard (BS).

The company launched its first e-rickshaw model – the e-Alfa Mini - in 2017. Priced at Rs 1.12 lakh, the battery-powered three-wheeler can travel for up to 85 km at a top speed of 25 km/hr on full charge.

This proposed order, with an estimated value of Rs 400 crores, will be delivered to two companies - Three Wheels United and SmartE. Mahindra, which was one of the first movers in the Indian EV (Electric Vehicle) space, is increasingly reaching out to auto-rickshaws associations spread across various cities, to sell its three-wheeler electric variations.

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The opportunity for e-rickshaws is extensive in India. Auto-rickshaws, fuelled by oil, gas and also, electricity, contributed heavily to India’s vehicle mix. Tier I cities in India (with a population greater than 4 million) typically have more than 50,000 auto-rickshaws each, while Tier II cities (with a population between 1 and 4 million) have between 15,000 and 30,000 auto-rickshaws.

It should be noted that e-rickshaws in India have witnessed something of a quiet revolution. Bloomberg has reported that about 1.5 million e-rickshaws are plying on Indian roads, a count higher than the total number of battery-powered passenger cars sold in China since 2011.