PUNE : With Electric Vehicles (EV) getting a special mention in the Union Budget 2019 presented earlier this month with an aim to push electric mobility in India, Punekars are keen to make the maximum out of the incentives proposed by the government.
If the high cost of electric vehicles was discouraging those wanting to purchase one till now, then a possible reduction in cost and tax benefits is luring Pune residents into buying an e-vehicle.
“On an average, 50 to 60 more queries are coming for Hero Motor e-bikes of lithium-ion battery after the proposal of Union Budget 2019,” said Madan Bidave, store manager of Hero Electric in Pimpri Chinchwad.
According to the data released by RTO Pune for this year, Pune has the maximum number of electric two-wheelers in Maharashtra.
“We are receiving queries regarding the GST rate on bikes. If the proposal for the deduction of GST rate will be approved by the GST Council, then a difference of Rs 2,000 to 3,000 will be seen on e-bikes,” said Avani Desai, owner of Srinavasa Motors in Dhankawadi that sells Okinawa electric scooters.
Electric vehicle sellers have said that people are ready to book a vehicle now but will make the full payment only when the price reduces when the GST policy is approved. “They are ready to wait till then,” Desai added.
This has also given a boost to pre-booking of e-bike Revolt RV 400, which is being introduced in the country exclusively in Pune and New Delhi.
Revolt Intellicorp’s founder Rahul Sharma, who had previously co-founded Micromax, welcomed the government’s move to shift to electric mobility.
“We welcome the announcement by the government and hope our consumers choose the right path to the road to a new revolution by adopting this new mode of commute,” Sharma said.
He further added, “The simpler and beneficial the incentive is to the consumer, the stronger the market response will be. We will definitely start seeing an overall boost in the electric two-wheeler segment.”
