Uttar Pradesh has India’s largest EV fleet, driven mainly by commercial e-rickshaws and three-wheelers that cut fuel costs and offer livelihoods, yet private adoption remains weak.
FAME-II has brought 600 e-buses to 11 cities, helping trim PM10 and PM2.5 levels, but chaotic regulation, power theft for charging and poor infrastructure show the state is only taking early steps on its e-mobility journey.
Uttar Pradesh (UP) has emerged as the largest market for EVs in India with an over 1.75 million electric vehicle (EV) fleet. But EVs are not yet a personal choice in the state though they are making their presence felt strongly on its roads to bridge a small part of the huge unemployment gap and reduce fuel costs.
This is the reason that one e-rickshaw is included in every 49 vehicles registered in UP and about two e-rickshaws are registered for every three EVs. There is also a plan to convert conventional diesel and CNG public transport buses into e-buses for movement in the densely populated big cities of the state. But it is still far behind the target.
According to data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ Vehicle Dashboard, a total of 5,62,92,968 vehicles are registered in Uttar Pradesh as on August 15, 2026. Of these, petrol and diesel vehicles together account for 90.3 per cent. There are 4,47,01,020 petrol vehicles and 61,52,756 diesel vehicles.
Around 1.773 million vehicles are registered in the EV (3.15 per cent) category. Of these, there are a total of 1.147 million e-rickshaws. The number of e-rickshaws carrying passengers is 1.033 million and the number of e-rickshaws used for carrying goods is 0.114 million. Apart from these, 8,29,605 three-wheelers or auto-rickshaws are also registered and are seen in large numbers after e-rickshaws in major cities like Lucknow and Kanpur.
According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA), the national market share of electric three-wheelers in India reached 65.1 per cent in July 2026, while the share of electric two-wheelers stood at 11.2 per cent. This national trend is reflected in Uttar Pradesh as well. One of the major reasons for this can be attributed to the fact that three-wheelers, especially e-rickshaws used for passenger and freight transportation, are in commercial use where daily operating costs are directly linked to earnings, so the fuel-saving option is adopted quickly.
The Government of India had launched the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid End) Electric Vehicles (FAME) India Scheme to promote electric and hybrid vehicles. Its second phase i.e. FAME-II was started in the year 2019, which was especially focused on promoting EVs, charging infrastructure and e-buses in public transport.
Under this scheme, a total of 600 electric buses have been deployed in 11 cities of Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Bareilly, Jhansi and Moradabad since 2019.
E-rickshaws are playing a big role in urban and local transport across Uttar Pradesh, although they come with problems of their own.
Saurabh Kumar, an e-rickshaw driver near Dubagga in Lucknow, the capital of UP, told Down To Earth (DTE) that earlier, he used to wander about looking for employment.
But after arranging finance, he bought an e-rickshaw and now earns up to Rs 800 per day. He can travel about 100 km in a charge of six to eight hours. But he also says that now there are so many e-rickshaws and electric three-wheelers that income is decreasing although it is better to keep earning something rather than sit idly.
Prabhat Pandey, RTO Enforcement of Lucknow Division, told DTE that more than 61,000 e-rickshaws are registered in Lucknow alone.
“There are all kinds of discounts for them and there is no capping of any kind. Nor is there any provision in the Motor Act to regulate them. Under traffic rules, there is a provision for the police to fix their routes. But they are completely outside the purview of the transport department,” he said.
Pandey cited a public interest litigation filed by lawyers in the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court and says that e-rickshaws have been directed to stay 100 metres away at every traffic intersection. Also, the municipal corporation has been ordered to fix their locations like bus stands. But it is not an easy task.
“The number of e-rickshaws in a city is also not fixed. There is also no system for charging them. Most e-rickshaws are charged through electricity theft. So, it is a challenge,” said Pandey. He added that e-rickshaws are better in terms of reducing air pollution, but they pose a major challenge in jamming roads and disrupting traffic systems.
According to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) State of India’s Environment 2025 report, the average life expectancy in Uttar Pradesh (located in the heart of North India’s Indo-Gangetic Plain) is estimated to be 5 years and 11 months due to air pollution.
This is the reason why EVs are sought after in the state’s policy making corridors. Policies that increase the state’s EV fleet, offer hope for the future. But on the ground, charging infrastructure for EVs including private vehicles, three-wheelers and e-rickshaws has not been created.
As a result of initial efforts, the average air pollution levels, especially particulate matter 10 (PM10) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), have come down by 19 to 36 per cent in the last three years in densely populated districts like Lucknow and Kanpur Urban, which is part of the Smart City project. However, the air quality is still being recorded two to three times higher than its normal standards. The share of EVs in reducing air pollution is still a small step and this reduction in emission burden can also come after clean fuel standards like BS-6 and the proliferation of CNG and local steps.
Vijay Gupta, who works with a private company in Lucknow, travels about 28 km daily from Polytechnic Square to Scooter Square. He is quite enthusiastic about e-buses but stresses on their limited number and the need to connect with nearby districts.
Earlier, catching city buses was a daunting task. Overcrowding and heat made it a bad journey. But e-buses not only make this journey easy but are also budget-friendly. Gupta says if e-buses start covering the districts around Lucknow, the burden on the capital can be reduced a bit. He calls for an emphasis on increasing the number of charging stations as well.