An influx of higher battery capacity vehicles with speeds as high as 40-50 km per hour being sold as low-speed two-wheelers across the country has resulted in the union ministry of Road, Transport, and Highways (MORTH) red flagging this development.

In a notification issued to various state governments, the MoRTH said that these high battery low-speed vehicles contravene the Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR Act), 1989 and under specific provisions mandated by the CMVR Act appropriate action must be taken against dealers found guilty of doing so.

"They (dealers) are selling these vehicles without taking any type of approval, factoring in vehicle identification norms and insurance, and even tampering with the verification undertaken by the testing agencies." the notification has observed. 

According to existing rules, EVs under 25kmph don't require type approvals and can be directly sold without certification. Furthermore, the total weight of the vehicle minus the batteries  (unladen weight) should not cross 60 kg and such vehicles should be fitted with suitable brakes and reflectors both at the front and in the rear as per CMVR rules,  the MoRTH notification indicated.

With the notification, the ministry has informed state governments says that it has observed that many dealers of such high-speed battery vehicles have mushroomed all over the country and  suggests that strict action be taken against dealers flouting the norms.

A report by SMEV in 2020 had suggested that in the electric two-wheeler segment, a majority or 97 percent of sales came from electric scooters with the remainder comprising electric motorcycles and cycles. Of these two-wheelers, low-speed scooters (max speed 25kph) and which do not need registration with the transport authorities contributed 90 percent of overall electric two-wheelers sales.

With the festive season having kicked off with Dussehra, EV dealers are hoping to woo buyers who want an electric mobility options in order to manage and cope with traditional fuels, prices of which have remained high as a result of the war in the Ukraine. EV sales have seen a rise in recent months with states such as UP and Bihar seeing a high number of resgirations.