Electric mobility in Srinagar is being driven mainly by three-wheeler autos and e-rickshaws, which dominate new EV registrations, while electric cars and two-wheelers lag far behind.
A discontinued subsidy helped fuel the auto boom, even as authorities now seek to regulate their numbers. Meanwhile, Smart City e-buses, especially popular with women and students, are reshaping daily public transport.
While electric vehicles (EVs) have gained momentum in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir over the past three to four years, their adoption is currently limited to electric buses, e-rickshaws, and three-wheelers (autos). Electric cars are barely visible on the roads. The uptake of battery-operated two-wheelers is also slow, Down To Earth (DTE) has found.
According to transport department data, more than 44,000 EVs have been registered since 2023. A total of 9,482 EVs have been registered in Jammu and Kashmir up to July 2026, with autos accounting for the highest number at 6,186.
In other words, autos account for a 65 per cent share of the registered vehicles. Similarly, of the 11,289 vehicles registered in 2025, the number of autos was 7,970, while in 2024, there were 6,636 autos out of 13,210 registered vehicles. However, passenger e-rickshaws accounted for the largest share of total registered vehicles in 2023. Of a total 9,750 registered vehicles that year, 5,033 were e-rickshaws. Since 2023, e-rickshaw registrations have steadily declined, whereas the number of three-wheelers has continued to rise.
Syed Mushtaq, general manager at Paris Automobile in the Kashmir Valley’s largest city of Srinagar, also attributes the sales of three-wheeler autos to the Rs 30,000 subsidy. This subsidy though has been discontinued since April 2026. Paris Automobile has been selling electric autos for the past three years. The showroom sold 342 three-wheelers in 2023-24, 556 in 2024-25, and 892 in 2025-26. From April to July 2026, 281 three-wheelers have been sold.
Syed Mushtaq says that no one in Srinagar is buying new petrol autos anymore; most of the three-wheelers seen on the roads are battery-operated.
Avny Lavasa, transport secretary in the transport department, told DTE that the government is focusing on reliable public transport. She stated that there is no need for an excessive number of e-rickshaws and three-wheeler autos on the roads, as they can cause traffic problems and affect law and order. “The subsidy provided to three-wheelers was not unlimited and has ended. The government is regulating them to maintain traffic as well as law and order,” she added.
Electric cars in Srinagar are currently struggling to win the trust of locals. Which is why only 486 such cars have been registered here so far in 2026. There were no significant registrations in the preceding years either. Only 458 electric cars were registered here in 2025, 271 in 2024, and 166 in 2023. Similarly, 2,314 motorcycles and scooters were registered in 2026, 1,650 in 2025, 941 in 2024, and 236 in 2023.
Electric buses operating under the Smart City project constitute a crucial link in Srinagar’s public transport system. Smart City Limited is operating 100 electric buses, while the Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation Limited is running 20, serving Srinagar and its surrounding areas. The Smart City’s red buses operate under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. This means that Tata holds the entire responsibility for operating the buses, including their maintenance, charging, and the provision of drivers. Smart City Limited only provides the conductors.
Suhaib Naqshbandi, an urban architect for the Smart City project, told DTE that electric buses were introduced in Srinagar in November 2022. These buses operate on the GCC model; the government did not purchase the buses but instead procured the service. Typically, when the government purchased buses, they would fall into disrepair after some time. Due to a lack of proper operation and maintenance, the public did not receive the service they deserved. Which is why the GCC model is superior.
According to Naqshbandi, a target of covering 200 kilometres (km) has been set for each city bus. Penalties are imposed if the target is not met. He stated that routes have been determined based on an analysis of the demand for buses. The Smart City pays the company at a rate of Rs 45 per km. These buses cover areas located approximately 50-60 km away from Srinagar.
Smart City buses are becoming quite popular among people in Srinagar, especially among women, as travel is free for them. Naqshbandi states that 35,000 people travel on these buses daily. Women account for approximately 20,000 of these passengers. He believes that people have embraced these buses. As the number of buses increases, people’s reliance on private vehicles will decrease.
Students are the primary users of Smart City buses. Rabia Amin, a 20-year-old student who has been using these buses since their inception, told DTE that all members of her family travel on them. These buses get passengers to their destinations faster than private buses, which is why everyone prefers them. Additionally, free travel for women results in financial savings. However, she also says that she sometimes feels unsafe on buses because of the frequent presence of pickpockets. She believes that a section of the bus should be reserved for women so that they can feel safe.