The sales of electric two-wheelers declined once again in the Q1 2019, owing to the stringent FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles in India - Phase II) requirements, reported the Economic Times. The report cited data from Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV); it shows that only 1,700 electric two-wheelers were sold Q1 as opposed to 30,000 units in Q1 2018 — a decline of 94% year-over-year. This is because of a lengthy certification process for EVs under FAME II, which come into effect in April 1, 2019. Currently, given the tedious certification process, only 5 electric vehicle manufacturers — Ather Energy, Ampere, Okinawa, Jitendra Electric Vehicles, and Hero Electric — have been certified to avail the subsidies under FAME II. Sales for the month of April dipped to almost zero, according to SMEV. The association also said that Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions, and Saarthi have received certificates under FAME II — only for three and four-wheelers. Dipping sales of electric two-wheelers under FAME II According to FAME II rules, all original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are to get their electric two-wheeler models certified by recognised testing agencies such as Automotive Research Association of India’s (ARAI), under Rule 126 of Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, in order to be able to claim incentives. The government launched FAME II in February with a total outlay of Rs 10,000 crores for 3 years from 2019-2022. This incentive scheme was an extension of…
