India’s electric three-wheeler (e3W) segment has become a significant contributor to the country’s electric vehicle (EV) adoption, accounting for 28.73% of total EV registrations across all vehicle categories between CY2017 and CY2025. However, actual market activity often differs from reported sales, as adoption remains highly uneven across states.
According to JMK Research and the VAHAN database, Uttar Pradesh dominated cumulative e-rickshaw registrations with 41.1%, followed by Bihar (13.7%), Assam (10.1%), Delhi (7.9%), and West Bengal (5.2%), underlining the strong regional concentration of India’s e-rickshaw market.
Spike in West Bengal Registrations
In October 2025, the West Bengal Transport Department mandated registration of all electric rickshaws, commonly referred to as Toto. The initial deadline of December 31, 2025, was later extended to January 31, 2026, prompting a surge of bulk registrations of previously unregistered vehicles. This spike was reflected in official VAHAN records between November 2025 and January 2026.
A category-wise breakdown of West Bengal’s passenger e3W registrations revealed that:
- L3 electric rickshaws typically account for 80% of monthly registrations.
- Post-registration drive, the L3 share surged to 96–97% in December 2025 and January 2026, indicating most newly registered vehicles were L3 models.
National Context and Policy Enforcement
Earlier in 2025, the Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Society (EVMS) estimated that 4.75 lakh e-rickshaws were operating illegally in India, without registration, fitness certification, or insurance. This highlighted a significant underreporting of EV adoption and raised safety concerns.
Other states are also moving to tighten regulations:
- In the National Capital Region (NCR), the Delhi government is considering a one-month registration window for unregistered e-rickshaws.
- The Delhi High Court has taken up a public interest case seeking stricter enforcement of e-rickshaw regulations.
Experts note that if major e-rickshaw markets such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar implement similar registration drives, India’s official EV statistics could see a substantial increase, not from new demand but by capturing the informal fleet in official data. Over time, this would enhance data accuracy, helping policymakers and market planners better understand EV penetration, particularly in the passenger e3W segment.
