Electric Loader Rickshaw Demand Expected to Shoot Up in India in Coming Years

As per the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the e-commerce sector in the country is witnessing significant growth, and it is expected to surpass that of the U.S. to become the second-largest in the world by 2034. The prospering e-commerce sector, on account of the surging penetration of smartphones and the internet and changing consumption patterns, will augment the deployment of electric loader rickshaws for cargo delivery. Owing to this reason, the Indian electric loader rickshaw market will advance at a considerable rate during 2020–2030.

The presence of such vehicles on Indian roads has surged in the last two years owing to the rising environmental concerns and technological advancements in the automobile industry. To mitigate the rising air pollution levels, the central government and state governments are offering incentives and subsidies on electric three-wheelers, thereby fueling the production and adoption of electric loader rickshaw across India. These vehicles can carry cargo loads of up to 450 kg, thus making them ideal for light-to-medium-duty urban freight transport operations.

At present, electric loader rickshaws are used in logistics, e-commerce, municipality, and food and grocery applications in India. Among these, the e-commerce sector of the country is rapidly deploying such three-wheelers for delivery purposes. For example, in January 2020, Amazon.com Inc. publicized its plans to deploy 10,000 electric three- and four-wheeler cargo rickshaws in the country by 2025. Apart from e-commerce companies, the prospering logistics industry is also adopting a significant number of electric loader rickshaws for the transportation of goods across the country.

According to P&S Intelligence, the Indian electric loader rickshaw market has a strong presence in Ahmedabad. Around 70% of all the electric rickshaws in Ahmedabad are loader rickshaws, whereas in Gurugram, 15%–20% are loader rickshaws. Moreover, the percentage of electric loaders is rising in the  electric cargo three-wheeler fleet of Delhi. Apart from these, several cities of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Punjab, Assam, and Jharkhand are adopting a significant number of electric loader rickshaws.