Is 2026 the Right Year to Buy an EV Scooter?
The other day, my cousin called to ask whether he should wait another year before switching to electric. "Bhai, prices are still high, and what if the technology gets even better by 2027?" Fair question, honestly. But after riding electric for a while now and watching the market evolve, I think 2026 might actually be a good year to invest in an EV.
The Numbers Finally Make Sense
Let's talk money first, because that's what stops most of us, right? The upfront cost used to be the biggest headache with electric scooters. But 2026 has brought some interesting changes. Take the VIDA VX2 series, for instance, with their BaaS option, you can get the Go variant for just ₹59,490. That's without buying the battery outright, which honestly makes a lot of sense for most city riders.
Think about it: you're not stuck with battery replacement worries down the line, and the entry barrier drops significantly. Even the Plus variant starts at ₹64,990 with BaaS. Compare that to what we were looking at just two years ago, and it's a different ballgame altogether.
The running costs are where electric really shines, though. At around ₹0.96 per kilometre, my monthly fuel, sorry, charging, bill is a fraction of what I used to spend on petrol. With petrol prices doing their usual dance upwards, that difference only gets more pronounced.
Infrastructure Has Quietly Caught Up
Remember when range anxiety was a real thing? I mean, it still exists for longer trips, but for daily city use, the infrastructure has improved dramatically. There are over 5000 fast-charging stations now, and more importantly, 700+ service centres.
In practice, this means you're not dependent on a single authorised service centre 30 km away. When I had an issue with my scooter last month, I found a service point just 10 minutes from my office. That's the kind of convenience that makes electric vehicles viable for everyday use.
The expansion of the charging network has been steady but significant. Even smaller cities are getting decent charging infrastructure, which wasn't the case even in 2024.
Technology Has Matured Without Getting Complicated
Here's something I appreciate about the current crop of electric scooters: they've focused on getting the basics right rather than cramming in unnecessary tech. The VIDA VX2 series, for example, comes with practical features like removable batteries (great for apartment dwellers like me), decent boot space, and reliable build quality.
The Go variant offers a 92 km range, which comfortably covers most daily commutes. If you need more, the Plus variant stretches that to 142 km. These aren't theoretical numbers either; real-world usage gets you pretty close to these figures, unlike some of the early electric scooters that promised the moon.
Battery technology has also stabilised. We're not seeing dramatic improvements every six months anymore, which means you won't feel like your scooter is outdated the moment you buy it.
But Is the Timing Right for You?
Here's the thing: 2026 works if you're a typical city commuter. Your daily rides are under 50-60 km, you have access to home charging or nearby charging points, and you're tired of petrol price volatility. The ecosystem is mature enough to support this use case reliably.
However, if you frequently take longer intercity trips or live in areas where charging infrastructure is still sparse, you might want to wait another year or consider hybrid options.
For families replacing a second petrol scooter, though, 2026 feels like the right time. The costs work out, the reliability is there, and, honestly, the peace of mind from not dealing with petrol pump queues is worth something, too.
The technology won't change dramatically in the next year or two, prices have stabilised, and the support ecosystem is finally catching up. Sometimes, the right time isn't when everything is perfect, it's when everything is good enough.
