Is India Ready to Move to Electric Bikes from petrol bikes?
Growing awareness about climate change and global warming has made saving the environment the need of the hour. Everyone knows, one of the biggest challenges we face while trying to go eco-friendly is that even our daily commute to work can cause damage to the environment. But with the kind of fast-paced lives we lead, no one has time to adopt slower alternatives such as riding a bicycle or going walking as most of us have our workplaces far away from home.
We all have been using petrol bikes for the longest time, but it will not take us long to reach a petrol scarcity as petroleum is a non-renewable resource. The fumes rising from petroleum-based vehicles contribute to air pollution in the country. Besides, we need not mention skyrocketing petrol prices. Due to these reasons, there is one alternative that is recently amassing support from most people in India – the electric bike.
The electric two-wheeler is an up and coming market in the country. Given the rise in petrol prices, electric bikes are gaining more and more popularity. Furthermore, government policies supporting battery-powered vehicles, the need to safeguard the environment, and stricter emission norms have contributed to the popularity of this vehicle. Several initiatives were put in place to boost the sales of electric bikes in India. The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) 2020 launched in 2013, aimed towards increasing the manufacturing and sales of electric vehicles (EV), with added incentives. In the Union Budget 2019, the Government of India (GoI) framed various policies that announced rebates on electric vehicles.
Besides, the ‘Make in India’ initiative has seen several mainstream automobile manufacturers like Hero, Avon, Bajaj, and more, entering the electric vehicle sector. By 2025, the GoI aims to switch to battery-powered vehicles (by over 90%). An advantage of electric bikes is that you do not have to spend money on petrol, instead just charge the bike at home (a process that does not take too long and can be done easily through the existing plug points at home).
Now, whether you ride a regular motorcycle or an e-bike, you need bike insurance to safeguard and protect your vehicle. Bike insurance is also a mandatory document under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988. While the norms for e-bike insurance are yet to be settled by the government, regular motorcycle owners need to have an active policy under their name. In case you are wondering how much the policy will cost you, use the bike insurance calculator to determine the same.
In the near future, we hope to gain more clarity on bike insurance for electric bikes. Until then, go ahead and protect your regular motorcycle with a comprehensive bike insurance plan available in the market. And if you care to go eco-friendly, ask yourself – India is ready to shift to electric bikes from petrol bikes, are you?
