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Business News/ News / India/  Gadkari asks e-rickshaw makers to improve product quality
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Gadkari asks e-rickshaw makers to improve product quality

E-rickshaws have become popular in urban and semi-urban areas as they are a zero emission, low-cost transport service
  • Local firms use substandard parts from neighbouring nations to make the product cheaper, compromising on quality
  • Union minister Nitin Gadkari (Photo: HT)Premium
    Union minister Nitin Gadkari (Photo: HT)

    NEW DELHi: Road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday urged battery-operated rickshaw (electric rickshaw or e-rickshaw) manufacturers to improve their product design and quality and urged them to tap the export market.

    “I am not satisfied with the quality of some of the vehicles. These vehicles should be manufactured in a way that it lasts for around 10 years, even if the price slightly goes up. But these days, the life of some of the battery-operated rickshaws is barely one to one-and-a-half year," the minister said, addressing the members of the Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles.

    In the last few years, e-rickshaws have become popular in the urban and semi-urban areas as they are a zero emission, low-cost transport service offering first last mile connectivity and mobility options to passengers. These vehicles are tested for safety standards and are allowed to ply on the road only when they adhere to these standards.

    There are several locally assembled e-rickshaws that are not registered and operate illegally. They typically use substandard automobile parts from neighbouring countries that make the price of the product cheaper, but often don’t adhere to safety standards.

    The minister said that if manufacturers keep producing low quality products that last only a year, then buyers will ultimately lose faith and this will kill the market.

    “Why can’t we export e-rickshaws? For this, we need to focus on product quality and design. There can be more innovative design options, such production of e-carts that will be used to see ice-cream, vegetables," Gadkari, who is also the minister for micro, small and medium enterprises, said. He addedthat there is also a need to help people who use cycle rickshaw to switch to e-rickshaw.

    He urged them to collaborate with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to help them improve the quality of the models.

    “You can work with any of the IITs. We are ready to fund it. They will help you with quality, testing, norms and design," he said.

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    Published: 26 May 2020, 05:08 PM IST
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