Electric three-wheelers, e-rickshaws could soon be rated like cars. Here's why it matters
New Delhi: The central government is considering safety ratings for electric three-wheelers and electric rickshaws amid a surge in the adoption of electric vehicles in the three-wheeler segment.
The ministry of road transport and highways is discussing the inclusion of electric three-wheelers to ensure the safety of the occupants and the durability of the vehicle in crash collisions, according to two people aware of the development.
The new safety benchmarks are likely to follow a five-star rating system under the ambit of the Bharat National Car Assessment Programme (NCAP), said the first person mentioned above. The plan is likely to be opened for public consultation within the next three to six months.
Queries sent to the ministry on 3 June did not elicit a response till press time.
Under Bharat NCAP, vehicles undergo crash tests to assess performance in two key areas: adult occupant protection (AOP) and child occupant protection (COP). Ratings range from one star (lowest) to five stars (highest).
To receive a safety rating, vehicles must undergo both frontal and side-impact crash tests. The AOP category allows for a maximum score of 32 points, while COP is capped at 49 points. A five-star rating requires at least 27 points in AOP and 41 points in COP.
Although Bharat NCAP is currently voluntary for automakers, the road transport and highways ministry can recommend that specific models be evaluated under the programme, per a notification issued in September 2023.
The battery of an electric vehicle can be a major risk factor in case of collisions and significantly harm passengers, said the second person mentioned above.
Also Read: EVs hit with falling resale value as consumer demand cools
EV adoption
This comes at a time when electric three-wheelers are leading India's electric mobility adoption in the country.
According to Vahan portal data, 6.99 lakh electric three-wheelers were sold in FY25, making up 57% of the total three-wheeler sales in the country. This was higher than the 6.32 lakh such vehicles sold in the previous fiscal, when they made up 54% of all three-wheelers sold.
In comparison, only about 1.01 lakh electric cars were sold in the country in FY25, accounting for about 2.6% of all cars sold. About 11.11 lakh electric motorcycles and scooters were sold in FY25, making up roughly 6% of all such vehicles sold in the country, Vahan data showed.
There were safety concerns about e-rickshaws, identified as L3 models, as they were smaller models running on lead-acid batteries initially and produced by unregulated manufacturers, said Maxson Lewis, managing director and chief executive officer, Magenta Mobility.
L3 electric rickshaws are used for small distances and last-mile mobility, while L5 models of electric three-wheelers can carry more passengers or cargo and cover longer distances.
"There was a huge issue with toppling of these tuk-tuks, as they used to be called, which are electric three wheelers and many such cases essentially because they were not properly designed," said Lewis.
Lewis said that safety and quality issues have plagued L5 models too, and manufacturers might try to pass on the additional cost of crash tests to consumers.
Also read | India open to revising EV manufacturing policy for foreign automakers post US tariff clarity
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