The new acid-battery rickshaw in Darbhanga, such as the one driven by Mr. Rai, sells for approximately 175,000 rupees, or $2,100. This is half the cost of a new natural gas-powered rickshaw. Recharging the battery only costs 20 rupees (25 cents), which is one-fourth the price of filling a gas tank.
These incentives appear to be effective, as India’s largest company, Reliance Industries, is converting its three-wheeled cargo vehicles from gas to electric. Food delivery services are also making the switch to electric as fast as possible.
Chetan Maini, the founder of Sun Mobility, a company that builds charging infrastructure, mentioned that their business is growing rapidly. The decreasing battery prices are helping to reduce the cost of electric two- and three-wheelers. Mr. Maini predicted that when the crossover point in cost occurs, the impact will be very rapid, resembling a hockey stick due to its price sensitivity.
According to Balaji Motors, a dealer, approximately 200 electric rickshaws are sold each month in Darbhanga. A sales manager estimates that electric rickshaws will dominate the streets within two years.
Darbhanga, with a population of 300,000 people, could be considered a quiet town by Indian standards. However, it is far from quiet with loudspeakers blaring music from temples and advertising jingles from open-air shops, along with the constant sound of horns honking and engines sputtering. In this bustling soundscape, Mr. Rai’s purring electric rickshaw stands out as a relative rarity and delighted a recent passenger, retired teacher Satyen Vir Jha.