Hybrid and electric vehicles in India: Current scenario and market incentives

While the FAME scheme provides incentives for all market segments, currently only the passenger car and two-wheeler segments appear to be reaping the maximum benefit from these incentives. In FY 2015-16, hybrid and electric passenger vehicles constituted approximately 1.3% of all passenger vehicle sales in India, up from essentially zero in FY 2012-13. Within all hybrid and electric technology types, lead-acid based mild hybrids are the most prevalent in the passenger car segment, and lead-acid based electric scooters are the most prevalent in the two-wheeler segment. Advanced battery technologies are found in strong hybrid and battery operated electric passenger cars, although with much lower market shares.

This study also evaluates the performance of hybrid and electric models available on the Indian market in comparison to their non-hybrid or non-electric base models, in the context of fuel economy regulations in India as well as life-cycle CO₂ emissions.