2 out of every 5 electric cars are from these states, why is South India at the forefront in the EV race?

Total Electric Cars Sold In India: The market of electric cars in India has now gained momentum. Where in the year 2020, only 3,252 across the country electric cars were sold, but by 2025 this figure will increase to around 1.7 lakh units. But amidst this rapid growth, a shocking truth emerges that about 2 out of every 5 electric cars sold in the country come from only a few states. Why is this so? Let’s understand the whole picture.

South India becomes powerhouse of EV

If we look at the data of the last 5 years, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu together have maintained a strong share of 30 to 35 percent in India’s total electric car sales.

This advance is not new. In the year 2020, when the EV market was in its initial stages, the share of these three states was still around 38 percent. As electric cars became popular in other parts of the country, South India’s share stabilized slightly at around 31–33 per cent.

Maharashtra also entered among the top states

If we talk about top performing states, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala together contribute about 40 percent of India’s total four-wheeler EV registrations. It is clear from this that these states have gone far ahead of the rest of the country in adopting EVs.

The structure of cities became a boon for EVs

The biggest reason behind this growth of South India is the geographical structure and driving pattern of the cities there. In cities like Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, daily commutes are generally short and on fixed routes. There is less highway driving and more driving within the city, which eliminates range anxiety, the biggest concern of EV users, to a great extent. Cities and towns in Kerala are spread over long stretches along the highways, making the entire state look like one big urban zone and making driving an EV much easier.

Charging infrastructure boosted confidence

The charging network has also developed rapidly in South India. Charging corridors have been built at both public and private levels, which has made inter-city travel easier. EV taxi fleets and tech-savvy early customers, especially in Bengaluru, made electric cars increasingly common.

Charging at home became a game changer

A large number of people in South India are from the salary class, who travel fixed distances and at fixed times. Charging at home becomes easier if you live in apartments or independent homes. Once charging at night becomes a habit, the dependence on public chargers reduces considerably.

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Experience is more important than subsidy

Earlier, where state government subsidy was a major reason for EV purchase, now its impact is decreasing. In most states, the difference in subsidy is only ₹ 10,000 to ₹ 30,000. Now buyers are paying more attention to daily utility, charging facility and total cost of ownership and on these parameters South India seems to be ahead.

What will change next?

While the share of four-wheeler EV was 2.4 percent in 2024, it will increase to around 4 percent in 2025. As charging facilities increase in tier-2 and tier-3 cities and more EV options in the ₹10–25 lakh range arrive, North and West India will also catch up. However, at present, the command of EV revolution is in the hands of South India only.