1,390 electric vehicles were sold in 2020, 2328 electric vehicles were sold in 2021 and the figure has doubled YOY to a total of 4253 electric vehicles sold in Coimbatore.
Coimbatore: Amidst the innumerable transport options available to today's consumers and motorists, two-wheelers have always been considered to be the reliable, easiest and fastest mode of road transport.
Though fossil fuel-powered vehicles, including bikes and cars continue to rule the roads, the number of motorists opting Electric Vehicles ( EV) is rising significantly. There was a time when spotting an electric vehicle on the road made people stop and stare, but it is not the case anymore. With sale of electric vehicles increasing significantly this year, compared to last year, at least one electric vehicle can be spotted in every road junction or traffic signal.
Interestingly, sales figures point to 1,390 electric vehicles were sold in Coimbatore district alone in 2020. In 2021 alone, a good 2328 electric vehicles were sold which indicates that electric vehicle sales have almost doubled. A total of 4253 electric vehicles have been sold in Coimbatore, including 3884 electric scooters and 369 electric four-wheelers, up to the second week of November.
Of these, 2,980 electric two-wheelers and 278 four-wheelers were sold in Coimbatore urban alone. A total of 904 two-wheelers and 91 four-wheelers have been sold in the suburbs towns including Mettupalayam, Pollachi and Sulur.
The Simplicity news team spoke to a cross section of customers and market researchers to learn more about the experience of those who use electric vehicles.
Malathi, a milk vendor opined that the electric bike has been very useful for her work.
"Usually, if you want to ride a petrol-powered two-wheeler, you have to spend up to Rs. 200 on fuel for 100 kilometers. However, a maximum of 3 units of electricity is sufficient while using an electric vehicle. Its total fuel cost is less than Rs. 15. Besides, there are no other maintenance costs such as oil replacement. If the service is done once in two months without any delay, there will be no vehicle repairs," she explained.
When asked why there were incidents of electric cars exploding, Malathi explained that the electricity required for the vehicle’s battery has to be charged for up to only 6 hours.
"Leaving it on charge beyond that time can cause the battery to swell and result in an accident. But there is no fear if used properly. If you carry more weight than the recommended weight during the journey, you will have to spend more electricity. But, on the whole, electric vehicles can run liberally up to a maximum of 70 kilometers on a single charge. As a result, electric vehicles are useful," reiterated Malathi.
Market researcher Guna is of the opinion that electric vehicles will be in demand in the car market in the future.
"The fascination for the EVs have caught up in a big way, that the demand for the electric vehicles is likely to increase and witness aggressive demand. Due to the rising prices of petrol and diesel day-by-day, the monthly budget of the public is being affected to a great extent”
“Similarly, if it is an electric vehicle, its cost is many times lower than that of petrol and diesel vehicles. Thus, these electric vehicles fall into the budget of the middle class people. Thus, the number of motorists using electric vehicles is gradually increasing. The cost of electric vehicles is slightly higher than regular vehicles. But customers see that added difference as an investment.
This means that when a petrol and diesel vehicle is purchased and used, the cost is paid in monthly installments. For example, for petrol and diesel vehicles, if one paid a loan installment amount of Rs. 5,000 per month, and roughly the cost of fuel be it petrol and diesel is Rs. 5,000 per month, the overall cost along with the loan amount is Rs.10,000”. Guna says
“Now, when compared to the same electric vehicle expenses, the distance travelled by spending Rs. 5,000 on fuel can be covered by electric vehicles using electricity ranging from Rs. 450 to Rs. 500. Thus, you can save up to nine times the cost of fuel. In addition to that amount, the previously planned installation amount can be added to the customers so that they can customize the vehicles by constructing the installation in a short period of time (18-24)” Guna says
“Due to the increase in petrol and diesel prices, day by day, people are slowly turning to electric vehicles. On the one hand, there will be a shortage of petrol and diesel, and on the other hand, there will be a massive reduction in fuel costs due to the increasing production of electricity through solar power.. Therefore, if companies get involved in mass production, the prices of electric vehicles will come down considerably," adds Guna.
"Electric cars are the future. There is no difference of opinion in it. Now that the trend of electric cars is picking up, there are not enough charging stations.
There is no problem when using the cars locally. However, while going to a few outstations, the distance between the charging stations makes it difficult for those who own the first electric model cars," opines Sathyadev, a native of Vadavalli in Coimbatore, who recently bought the Nexon electric car.
Sathyadev also shared about the things to consider while using electric cars. "This means that on a full charge, you will get a range of 300 km, making it a bit more challenging to travel outstation. Once in every 220 km, you will have to fully charge again.
However, in models with the same 450 km range, it is enough to charge 330-350 km after a full charge. On an average, it takes an hour to charge 80 percent. It takes up to 120 minutes to charge 100 per cent. This account applies only to the modules called Fast Charge. Similarly, if you have to charge at home or somewhere else through a plug point, you can only charge 10 percent per hour. Similarly, if you charge the whole night at home, you can pick up the vehicle on a full charge in the morning.
As such, it costs an average of Rs. 800 to charge 100 percent at charging stations. Similarly, if you charge with a plug point at home, it will cost between Rs. 280 and Rs. 300. So, if the cost of petrol from Coimbatore to Chennai is Rs. 4000, an electric vehicle costs only Rs.1,200. But, it is enough to wait for five minutes to get to the petrol station. But, you will have to wait at least an hour to make a full charge”.
“Moreover, if someone else is charging when we are going to charge, our waiting time may still be prolonged. Thus, the travel time may also increase. When compared to other states like Kerala, the charging station on Tamil Nadu highways is only in major cities.
For example, if you want to travel from Coimbatore to Chennai, you have stations in major places like Tirupur, Salem, Erode and Ulundurpet. Although it is an inconvenience, there is no doubt that electric vehicles are economically and environmental-friendly compared to the cost of petrol and electric vehicles. Two of my friends to whom I recommended electric cars are now buying electric cars and driving them to Jammu and Kashmir," says the proud electric car owner, Sathyadev.
