Top 4 e-scooter makers refund ₹10 crore to buyers

The four Indian electric two-wheeler makers who had agreed to refund buyers for the charger and proprietary software that were sold separately have so far collectively paid back only about Rs 10 crore of the more than Rs 300 crore they were expected to.

Earlier this year, a government probe into customer complaints had found that Ola Electric, Ather Energy, TVS Motor and Hero MotoCorp were billing their charger and proprietary software as an add-on to their electric scooters. This is considered a violation of norms if an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer is seeking benefits under the government’s FAME (faster adoption and manufacturing of hybrid & electric vehicles) scheme.

The FAME policy document specifies that electric two-wheelers that retail above Rs 1.50 lakh per unit are ineligible for benefits under the Rs 10,000-crore programme.


In May this year, following a probe by the ministry of heavy industries, the four companies had agreed to refund customers who were billed separately for the chargers. The companies were to collectively give back Rs 305.64 in refunds.

Government data shows that Ola Electric has paid back Rs 4.25 crore of its total refund dues while Ather Energy has reimbursed Rs 3.97 crore. Hero MotoCorp has so far given out Rs 1.64 crore in refunds while TVS Motor has paid back Rs 9 lakh.

According to official estimates, Ather Energy has to refund Rs 157.78 crore, Ola Electric Rs 130 crore, TVS Motor Company Rs 15.6 crore, and Hero MotoCorp Rs 2.26 crore.

While these companies have cited non-availability of bank account details of customers as one of the reasons for the slow progress in refund, officials have played it down, saying information about buyers and their phone numbers are available and refunds can be speeded up.