Why don't we have 3 wheel scooters in India?

While scooters and mopeds and motorcycles are immensely popular in India, they have couple of main disadvantages

• Those who don’t know how to balance can’t ride them
• They have a higher risk of toppling on a bad road, slippery road etc

Next option for those who can’t balance 2w or don’t want to risk falling off is to buy a car, which is easily 5 to 6 times more expensive.

But there is an alternative: three wheeled scooters. I saw many of them in Europe- scooters having 2 wheels in front and 1 in the rear- the look and feel almost like normal two wheeler except for a slightly wider front. I am sure they cost only marginally more compared to normal 2 wheeler and if launched will be purchased by those who don’t know how to balance or those who feel 3 wheels are safer than 2.

Apparently there are a few three wheeler scooters available in India, on sale online. But both of these are rear two wheels, from some unknown brands, so we don’t know much about their reliability, after sales service etc.

https://www.bikedekho.com/amomobility/jaunty-3w#leadForm

https://www.amazon.in/Easy-Move-mobility-scooter-Electric/dp/B07X8PKQ9P

Below news article says Anand Mahindra expressed interest in launching one in India

https://www.financialexpress.com/auto/bike-news/anand-mahindra-peugeot-metropolis-three-wheeled-scooter-low-cost-version-india-launch-price/1976679/ 

But no such scooters are launched by major automobile manufacturers in India- Bajaj, Yamaha, TVS, Mahindra, Honda, Hero etc. Not sure why. Yamaha had a 3 wheeler bike as well, known as Niken. Again not launched in India.

Possible reasons could be 

1 Regulatory issue- RTO should have a category for these kinds of vehicles and should treat them at par with normal two wheelers. If extra tax or rules or restrictions get imposed cost goes up and customer interest evaporates

2 Market Size: Maybe companies are not convinced Indians want these- if they invest crores to make such scooters and sell, unless a few lakh units get sold they won’t break even. But this is something brands should jump into water and test it, than fearing failure. At least they make history.

While riding, if you suddenly spot a pothole or speed breaker or some other obstacle, a 3 wheeled vehicle will be a lot more stable than a 2 wheeler. But since all 3 wheels are in different position, negotiating a pothole will need more skill and planning.

Do share your thoughts- would you buy a three wheeler instead of 2? My tweet on this topic generated lots of responses. Do check and follow.

Need these in India... two wheels in the front... easy for those who can't balance and less risk of two wheeler falling over... pic.twitter.com/YCKne0jOFe

— Shrinidhi Hande (@enidhi) February 25, 2023