Electric commercial vehicle maker Youdha unveiled a limited-edition variant of its EPOD three-wheeler on August 17, 2026, at the Bharat Vyapar Mahotsav held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The variant, named EPOD-Bharat, carries a hand-painted exterior based on Warli art — a tribal art form originating from the Sahyadri mountain range of Maharashtra — depicting themes of women, rural life, nature, and community. The unveiling coincided with one of the country's larger trade and commerce events, giving the vehicle a public platform ahead of any wider rollout.
The EPOD-Bharat is built on Youdha's existing L5 electric passenger three-wheeler platform, which the company already sells in the commercial mobility segment. The vehicle is powered by a 6 kW motor producing 50 Nm of torque and draws from an 11.8 kWh lithium-ion LFP battery. Youdha states a certified range of 227 kilometres on a single charge. The vehicle includes two driving modes — City and Boost — intended to give operators flexibility between range conservation and performance depending on load and road conditions. It also carries a 300 mm water-wading capacity, a specification relevant for use in areas with uneven or waterlogged roads, which are common in parts of India during and after the monsoon season.
The base EPOD is priced at ₹3.20 lakh. Youdha has positioned the vehicle primarily at self-employed drivers and small mobility entrepreneurs. The combination of a long per-charge range, dual drive modes, and a price point within reach of individual operators reflects a broader market strategy in the electric three-wheeler segment, where operating cost savings over petrol or CNG alternatives are a key consideration for buyers.
The EPOD is manufactured at Youdha's plant in Kashipur, Uttarakhand. The facility has an installed annual capacity of one lakh units and includes automated assembly lines along with end-of-line testing and quality control infrastructure. The scale of the plant suggests the company is preparing for volume production beyond the limited-edition run the EPOD-Bharat represents.
Ayush Lohia, CEO of Youdha, said the EPOD-Bharat was intended as a tribute to Indian women and artisans, and described the project as an effort to place traditional Indian art on a contemporary electric mobility platform.
Warli art is one of India's oldest known tribal art traditions, practised by the Warli people of the Western Ghats region. The style is characterised by geometric shapes and monochromatic motifs depicting everyday life, and has gained recognition beyond its tribal origins through commercial and design applications over the past few decades. Its use on the EPOD-Bharat places it within a pattern of Indian companies incorporating folk and tribal art forms into product branding and design.
India's electric three-wheeler market has seen consistent growth over the past several years, driven by government incentives under the FAME scheme, rising fuel costs, and growing demand for last-mile passenger and cargo transport in urban and peri-urban areas. Youdha operates across both passenger and cargo electric vehicle segments. The EPOD-Bharat is a limited-edition run and does not represent a change to the standard EPOD product lineup.