MoRTH Draft Notification Proposes 600W Motor Limit for Registration-Free Low-Speed Electric Scooters

Key facts

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) issued a draft notification on August 21, 2026 proposing an amendment to Rule 2(u) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, raising the permitted thirty-minute motor power of low-speed electric scooters from below 0.25 kW to below 0.6 kW while retaining the maximum speed limit of below 25 kmph.
• The draft removes the existing 60 kg unladen-weight ceiling while retaining the exemption from registration, so qualifying vehicles continue to not be treated as motor vehicles under the Motor Vehicles Act and stay outside the Vahan registration regime.
• Vehicles must have suitable brakes and retro-reflective devices and comply with safety requirements under Annex A of AIS-049 (Rev. 1), verified under AIS-041 (Rev. 1) by an authorised testing agency.
• Industry estimates put low-speed electric two-wheeler sales at 2.3-2.6 lakh units in FY26, up from roughly 1.8-2.1 lakh in FY25, with potential volumes of 3.2-3.6 lakh units in FY27.
• Full-service OEMs such as BGauss support the relaxation as expanding the market, while Yulu has formally objected, seeking restoration of the weight ceiling or alternative physical safeguards, warning heavier vehicles could exploit the exemption and later be modified for higher speeds.
• MoRTH had warned States in 2022 about electric two-wheelers sold as low-speed vehicles despite being capable of 40-55 kmph, bypassing conventional motor vehicle requirements.