By bringing thousands of unregistered e-rickshaws into official state records, West Bengal leads, with its registration drives increasing the L3 share to 96–97%.
India’s electric rickshaw market is seeing sharp swings in official data as states move to bring informal vehicles into the system. According to a recent report by JMK Research & Analytics, electric three-wheelers account for about 28.73% of all EV registrations between CY2017 and CY2025. Yet reported sales have long understated real activity on the ground.
Adoption remains uneven. Uttar Pradesh accounted for 41.1% of cumulative registrations during this period. Bihar followed with 13.7%. Assam accounted for 10.1%. Delhi stood at 7.9%. West Bengal held 5.2%.
West Bengal’s figures jumped after a new enforcement drive. In October 2025, the state transport department mandated registration for all electric rickshaws, known locally as ‘ToTos’. The initial deadline of 31 December 2025 was later extended to 31 January 2026. The move triggered bulk registration of previously unregistered vehicles. This surge appeared in the VAHAN database between November 2025 and January 2026.
The rise was concentrated in the L3 category. Across most months, L3 e-rickshaws account for around 80% of West Bengal’s passenger electric three-wheeler registrations. After enforcement, the L3 share jumped to nearly 96–97% in December 2025 and January 2026. L5 registrations remained limited. The pattern suggests formalisation rather than fresh demand.
The scale of underreporting is large nationwide. In mid-2025, the Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Society estimated that about 475,000 electric rickshaws were operating illegally across India. Many lacked registration, fitness certificates and insurance. The gap raised safety concerns. It also masked the true extent of EV adoption.
Other regions are tightening oversight. In the NCR, the Delhi government is considering a one-month registration window for unregistered operators. The Delhi High Court is also hearing a public interest case seeking stricter enforcement.
Analysts say similar drives in large markets such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar could sharply lift India’s reported EV numbers. The increase would reflect formalisation, not new sales. Over time, this would improve data quality. It would also support better policy design and market planning for passenger electric three-wheelers.
