Mumbai is at the forefront of a growing trend in India, with a significant surge in searches related to electric vehicles (EVs). This uptick reflects the nation’s increasing interest in sustainable mobility solutions, driven by government incentives, technological advancements, and heightened awareness about eco-friendly transportation.
Recent data from the Federation of Automobile Dealers Association (FADA) shows a doubling of the electric passenger vehicle market share from 1.3% in March 2022 to 2.6% in March 2023. Additionally, the sale of electric passenger vehicles rose by 91%, reaching 90,996 units in FY2024 compared to 47,551 units in FY2023. Five months into FY2025, EV sales have already reached 733,000 units, accounting for 43% of the previous fiscal year’s total of 1.68 million units. These figures illustrate the sustained growth of the EV sector in India.
To further understand consumer behaviour, Justdial, a leading local search engine, analysed search trends for EV-related categories. From January 2022 to August 2024, searches for electric vehicles surged, mirroring the sales data. Between January-August 2022 and the same period in 2023, EV-related searches on the platform increased by 220% across India. The growth was particularly pronounced in metro cities, at 233%, while non-metro areas experienced a rise of 187%. Hyderabad led the metro surge, with search volumes growing eightfold, followed by Ahmedabad (3x), Bangalore (2x), and Jaipur (2x). Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata also showed significant increases of 179%, 166%, and 117%, respectively.
Interestingly, the trend shifted from January 2023 to August 2024, with non-metro cities witnessing a larger increase in EV-related searches at 141%, compared to 71% in metro cities. Indore topped the list with a dramatic 379% rise, while Patna (230%) and Surat (143%) also saw substantial growth. Chennai (368%) and Kolkata (114%) led the metro regions in terms of growth. Among various EV categories, the most notable spike was seen in searches for electric bikes on rent. Hyderabad reported an 18-fold increase, while Ahmedabad and Bangalore saw fivefold and fourfold increases, respectively.
Electric vehicle dealers experienced a significant rise of 203%, and electric car dealers recorded a more moderate increase of 55% during the same period (January-August 2022 vs. January-August 2023). Comparing January-August 2023 to January-August 2024, the trend continued to climb, with electric vehicle dealers witnessing a 151% growth nationwide. Delhi led this growth at 146%, while electric bus manufacturers saw a 142% rise. Searches for electric bikes on rent grew by 97%, with Kolkata showing a 167% increase, Pune at 123%, and Mumbai at 91%.
