Lucknow drives UP’s EV growth: Key factors, trends as more leasers become owners

Lucknow has emerged as the frontrunner in electric vehicle (EV) adoption within Uttar Pradesh, particularly in the electric rickshaw segment. The city’s EV auto sales have surged from a mere 56 units in 2020 to an impressive 3,572 units in 2024, marking a staggering 6,000 percent increase over four years.
Uttar Pradesh: EV Auto sales
The entire state of Uttar Pradesh has registered substantial growth in the EV sector, contributing 18 percent to the national EV sales.As per data points shared by Uber India, a ride hailing platform, electric autos in UP constituted over 92 percent of the total autos in 2024, a significant leap from the 77 percent recorded the previous year. Lucknow alone sold 3,572 electric autos.
On the other hand, cities like Kanpur and Agra have also shown significant progress. In Kanpur, EV auto sales skyrocketed from 3.2 percent of total sales in 2020 to over 88 percent in 2024. Agra, which had no EV autos in 2020, now boasts 1,811 EV autos compared to just 128 CNG autos in 2024. An Uber spokesperson said “More than 60 percent of our new supply comes from EV autos over CNG.”

Uttar Pradesh EV Auto Sales: Key factors
One of the major reasons for the growth of EV autos in the state is that economic benefits for EV auto drivers are substantial, with operating costs over 70 percent lower than traditional CNG autos. This significant cost reduction is encouraging the drivers to transition from leasing to owning their vehicles.
The state’s progressive policy of no permit restrictions on EV autos further accelerates this shift, enabling drivers to maximize their earnings and savings. Besides that, monthly maintenance costs for CNG autos hover around Rs 1,000, whereas EV autos incur negligible maintenance expenses, aside from occasional major repairs like tyre changes.