India EV penetration may cross 10% by year-end, says JSW MG Motor executive

Electric vehicles could account for more than 10% of passenger vehicle sales in India by the end of this year. This rise is aided by more model options, better driving ranges, expanding charging facilities and rising petrol and diesel prices, according to a senior JSW MG Motor India official.

"I think the ecosystem is getting set. Very soon it should be a double-digit number, if not by the end of this year," JSW MG Motor's Director for Sales, Lakshmi Ram Kumar Subbaraj, told PTI on the sidelines of the launch of a new edition of the company's Windsor EV.

"During the last 3-4 months, we have seen 8-8.5 per cent penetration. So I will not be surprised if during the festive period or by the year end, we are able to touch a double-digit number," he said.


Electric car sales have picked up pace in recent months, with some months recording nearly twice the sales seen a year ago. For instance in September alone, sales almost doubled to over 36,000 units, taking EV penetration to around 8.5%.

Subbaraj claims buyers now have more electric models to choose from across price segments. Further improved driving ranges are helping ease concerns about running out of charge. Battery-as-a-Service (BaaS) options and buyback programmes are also making EVs more attractive to customers.

Giving buyers greater confidence is the fact that charging infrastructure has been expanding. Higher petrol and diesel prices have also made the running costs of EVs more appealing.

JSW MG Motor, among India's top three electric carmakers, has six electric models in its portfolio, including the Windsor, Comet, ZS, Cyberster and M9.

With the festive season underway, Subbaraj expects demand to pick up further over the next few months.

"We are seeing the festive period just kick in, with today being the second day of Navaratri. So we are seeing very strong traction for EVs," he said.

He added that EV usage had already reached 8-8.5% in the months leading up to the festive season and could rise further by the end of this year.

Amongst this, JSW MG Motor on Tuesday launched the MG Windsor INDULGE edition at an ex-showroom price of Rs 17.99 lakh. The new edition contains a 38-kWh battery pack and offers a claimed driving range of around 332 km.