NEW DELHI: India plans to introduce standardized energy-efficiency labelling for electric two-wheelers (e2Ws) to help lower charging costs and enable consumers to make informed choices, according to four people aware of the development.
The labelling is expected to operate on the lines of the one-to-five-star rating system for electrical appliances by the state-run Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the Union power ministry, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions on the plan are in the initial stages and not in the public domain. A higher rating means greater energy efficiency, resulting in lower electricity bills and a smaller carbon footprint.
“There was a meeting last week between BEE, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (Siam), electric two-wheeler makers and sector experts about benchmarking the energy efficiency of electric two-wheelers,” the first person said.
India, the world’s largest two-wheeler market by sales, is also the world’s second-largest e2W market after China, according to the International Energy Agency. India recorded sales of 1.4 million e2Ws in FY26, a 20% rise from FY25, data from the government’s Vahan portal for vehicle registrations showed.
Such norms have already been introduced in some other countries. Vietnam mandates public energy consumption labels for electric motorbikes and electric scooters, while South Korea has integrated electric motorcycles and electric scooters into its broader appliance and transport energy efficiency standards.
India’s star-rating system is likely to be voluntary for the initial one or two years, after which the government will consider making it mandatory for all e2W makers, said the second person.
“The initiative aims to equip consumers with reliable, comparable information on the energy efficiency of electric two-wheelers, helping them make informed purchase decisions while encouraging the adoption of more energy-efficient vehicles,” the second person said.
According to the first person, the government is of the view that the energy consumption among e2Ws in India varies significantly—from about 2.2 kWh per 100 km to over 5 kWh—indicating that there is room for improvement.
Savings boost
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for increased electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the wake of the West Asia war, given that two-wheelers account for almost two-thirds of India’s petrol demand of 42.6 million tonnes. The rating system can help in savings in terms of charging costs, making the cost of ownership attractive in favour of EVs, according to experts.
“A star-rating system akin to the one used for air-conditioners and refrigerators could be used to build customer awareness,” said Ashim Sharma, senior partner and business unit head at Nomura Research Institute Consulting and Solutions, India. “It could tell consumers what kind of an impact they may get on their electricity bill, since most electric two-wheelers are charged at home. In addition, similar to the BNVSAP rating, it would make the manufacturers strive for a higher rating.”
BNVSAP refers to the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Programme launched in 2014, which eventually evolved into the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP), India’s indigenous vehicle crash safety test.
According to an auto industry executive aware of the development, there are practical challenges in rating vehicles under such a system, given that many external factors influence the range a user gets.
“They want to start with two-wheelers as it will be less complex compared to four-wheelers,” said the executive who is privy to the discussions.
Two-wheeler experts said the energy economy of e2Ws depends on the rider.
"If someone drives at relatively higher speeds and pushes the throttle frequently, the efficiency will drop,” said Deepesh Rathore, founder and head of research at InsightEV, a two-wheeler consultancy.
He questioned the purpose of a rating system in terms of economics, saying that for air-conditioners and refrigerators, consumers pay more for products with higher ratings because they deliver very high savings over a period of time.
“In electric two wheelers, the cost savings between a low-efficient and high-efficient scooter could be 5 to 10 paise per km, which will not be that high to prompt consumers to pay a premium for higher-rated products," Rathore said.
Queries emailed to the ministries of power and heavy industries, BEE, Siam, e2W makers Hero MotoCorp, Ola Electric, Ather Energy and TVS Motor on 15 June remained unanswered.
Fuel economy norms
The discussions on a star-rating system for e2Ws mark the first energy efficiency regulation on two-wheelers. Mint reported earlier that the government was working on building fuel economy regulations for all vehicle segments in line with the corporate average fuel efficiency (CAFE) norms for cars and constant speed fuel consumption (CSFC) norms for trucks.
The key difference between a CAFE-like regulation for two-wheelers and a star rating system for e2Ws is that CAFE norms for two-wheelers will cover both internal combustion engine two-wheelers as well as electric variants, said the second person.
Clean mobility experts said a star-rating system would increase consumer confidence and let them know that the government is overseeing the making and quality of these vehicles.
“Historically, India has seen some e2W models which have simply been assembled with sub-standard components, eventually leading to suboptimal energy usage,” said Sharif Qamar, associate director of transport and urban governance at New Delhi-based think tank The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri).