Slow, lack features! Yet, these e-scooters are winning it for Bajaj, TVS, Ola. How?

Gif by Sadhana Saxena.

Synopsis
Cutting-edge technologies often start with trendsetters, but 2024 marked the rise of entry-level electric scooters. These affordable models that offer reduced range, lower top speed, slower acceleration, and basic consoles now dominate sales for the top three electric two-wheeler makers. They have also sparked a sales surge in economically weaker states like UP, MP, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar.

Conventional wisdom in market economy tells us this: Consumers with the early-adopter psychology and relatively deeper pockets always come forward to embrace a new technology. Understandably so, premium versions of new-tech products see faster adoption while the belly of the market follows suit. But the Indian electric scooter market seems to be an aberration. Here, affordable models are driving the industry landscape. Sample this. By the latter