Deepika Agrawal 
Farah Halim is an electric vehicle (EV) pioneer. The founder of an EV advocacy firm, she bought the Mahindra e2o in 2013 after considering its benefits to the environment and her pocket. After clocking over 40 thousand kilometres on her first electric ride, the 42-year-old bought the Mahindra eVerito in 2022. The e2o was discontinued by the carmaker in 2016 while the eVerito is sold to fleet owners now, but Farah continues to be a happy customer.
Farah’s family has only owned electric vehicles. Despite facing initial discouragement from friends and family, she insisted on buying a battery-powered vehicle to reduce her carbon footprint. “The purpose of my life has been to live a clean, green and responsible life, and adopting an EV was fitting into that purpose completely,” she said. The initial support from Mahindra was another reason she could make that decision so confidently.
While Farah is an early adopter of EV four-wheeler, the market today is being steered by women power. Data states that a significant 25% per cent EV car buyers in the country are women, translating to one in every four EV customers. This is more than double of the share of women buyers of petrol and diesel cars – 12%. Factors such as increase in gender diversity, rising income of women and environmental consciousness are acting as catalysts in encouraging women to choose EVs.
With the blooming participation rate of women in working population and growing gender diversity in upper managerial roles, the affordability quotient has gone up. Women in the mid-level of their career can mostly afford a vehicle in the INR 15 to INR 20 lakh bracket, where the sweet spot of the mass EV car market currently is at. Puneet Gupta, Director – S&P Global Mobility, Automotive Sales Forecast India & Asean, said, “When we talk about women in the mid level of their career, we see they are very aspirational. They want to drive the best tech and best brand. Today, owning an EV is an aspiration, irrespective of gender.”
Apart from advanced technology, electric vehicles offer a lower total cost of ownership (TOC) and ease of driving, motivating women to choose these vehicles. After driving EVs for over a decade now, Farah has observed that maintenance cost is almost nil, technology features are unparalleled and managing these vehicles isn’t a hassle. All the required information pertaining to the range left, percentage of charge left, whether the car is regenerating, etc., is available on the screen – making it easier to operate the car.
Farah has come to realise that driving and maintaining an electric vehicle is “not a man-centered arena”. “I’m not a very technical person, so I don’t understand so much engine related information, but I can fix a puncture, when needed. (To maintain an EV), I did not need to have technical knowledge about machines. I could understand the car and relate to it more.”
Further, women’s willingness to adopt newer technologies has resulted in their preference for automatic transmission (AMT) and electric vehicles come in AMT variants only. Gupta said, “With the traffic going up, there is a lot of inconvenience and driving has become a challenge. This is the key reason why people now-a-days look for automatic cars (and EVs offer that).”
Another EV pioneer, Soumya Prasad, substantiates his point. The Dehradun-based, 46-year-old ecologist has been driving a Mahindra e2o since 2015 and is happy with her eco-friendly ride. “(Driving this car) is easier than a geared one. Being a compact car, it is easier to drive, park and maintain (as well),” she said.
Garima Gandhi is a new EV owner. The 44-year-old pharmaceutical intrapreneur bought a Tata Tiago EV in March last year which she uses to commute to office every day. The compact car with a green number plate is the right fit for an environmentally conscious person driving on the jam-packed narrow streets of Mumbai. Garima had stopped driving her Maruti Swift to work in 2015 and started using carpooling and public transport instead. “I have come back to driving only now after buying an EV,” she said. “The traffic hasn’t improved… but there is less guilt with respect to being stuck in traffic… now.”
Garima charges the EV in her housing society, mostly overnight. She has a dedicated charging set up at her car parking spot which makes it quite convenient to juice up the vehicle at the comfort of her home. “I haven’t been to a fuel station in a year now except for filling air in tyres. There’s no engine oil or brake oil to change as the car has a simple battery and motor set up,” she said.
Farah too, charges her electric car at home on a regular basis except when she is travelling long distances. The comfort of charging at home or office at any given time can be a game changer for the EV industry. Gaurav Vaangal, Principal Analyst, S&P Global, said, “The ability to charge electric vehicles at offices and home, avoiding the inconvenience of waiting at gas stations, significantly enhances the convenience for independent women.”
The notable uptick in women’s preference for electric vehicles over combustion engine cars is mirrored by the sales figures shared by major mass market EV makers. Approximately every 5th buyer purchasing Tata Motors’ EVs is a woman with Tiago.ev being preferred the most. The top five states where women are leading the EV charge are Goa, Telangana, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Vivek Srivatsa, Chief Commercial Officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility Ltd, said, “Some of the key factors driving increased interest from women buyers in EVs include ease of driving, enhanced comfort, innovative features with a focus on safety, and silent drive coupled with the cost-effectiveness of running an EV.”
Women buyers contribute 15% of the total vehicle sales at MG Motor India, as per data. However, for its EV portfolio, women account for approximately 24% of buyers, reflecting their notable presence in the segment. In current times, both Tata Motors and MG Motor have emerged as clear frontrunners when it comes to catering to women EV buyers, as per data from app-based car solutions provider Park+.
About 70% test drives for EVs are being booked on the app by women while they’re also contributing to 80% of app searches for EVs. The most popular EVs among women are Tata Nexon.ev and MG Comet. Amit Lakhotia, Founder and CEO, Park+, said, “Catalysts like better charging infrastructure, expanding EV portfolio and cost parity will continue to drive EV adoption and there is a strong indication that women will expedite this rate further.”
The increasing adoption of electric vehicles by women buyers contributes to the growth, sustainability and innovation of the automotive industry, while also promoting inclusivity and diversity in the automotive market.
