Raptee’s electric bet as Tesla vrooms into India

As Tesla prepares to enter India, and domestic EV manufacturing picks up pace, the spotlight is back on electric mobility and its scalability. But beyond high-end sedans and glitzy superchargers, what does the future hold for India’s two-wheeler EV ecosystem?

In this insightful conversation, The Federal’s Rachel Chitra speaks to Dinesh Arjun, CEO and founder of electric motorcycle startup Raptee, about India's tech edge, the gaps in infrastructure, and why motorcycles—not scooters or cars—might be the true engine of India’s electric future.

How aggressively is Tesla building its charging network in India, especially with reports about supercharger imports?

I can’t speak for them directly, but my understanding is that Tesla’s vehicles will use the CCS charging standard, which is already compatible with India’s existing public charging infrastructure. Superchargers are often Tesla’s way of showcasing tech superiority, so we might see a few units installed as proof of concept.

That said, even if they’re importing cars under a CPU model, I doubt they’ll be rolling out a large-scale supercharger network across the country.

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What’s the difference between mobile tent-style EV chargers and permanent stations? Which is more feasible for India?

Different geographies call for different solutions. Right now, we’re seeing large, fixed multi-plug chargers in India—stations with multiple “guns” that can serve multiple vehicles at once. These are being deployed widely across the country.

Mobile chargers are more of a stopgap. The real challenge is awareness. Most consumers don’t even know what CCS means or which chargers are compatible with their vehicles. So, as awareness grows, fixed chargers are going to be the more reliable, scalable option.

Tesla plans to hire local engineers for Autopilot and R-&D. What’s your take on India’s EV engineering talent?

We complement many other EV tech nations. China has asserted dominance in EV hardware, but India has a strong edge in EV software, especially for two-wheelers. Some of the most advanced two-wheeler EV tech is coming from India.

There are over 20,000 people in India working solely on electric two-wheeler R-&D. We need to leverage this expertise instead of positioning ourselves as just “China Plus One.”

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What about India’s battery manufacturing capacity—especially with Tata’s -$1.5 billion giga-factory underway?

There’s a noticeable shift towards LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) cells because of cost benefits, where China still dominates. But for more advanced chemistries like NCA and NMC, we see promising investments from Tata, Ola, and Amara Raja.

Is it fully ready in the next one or two years? Probably not. But we’re definitely moving in the right direction toward domestic cell sourcing.

There are reports of 135 EVs per public charger, mostly for four-wheelers. How does this impact two-wheeler EVs?

That figure might be outdated. Today, it’s closer to 50 EVs per charger, and these are mostly public DC fast chargers. But in India,90 per cent of charging happens at home or at work, using slow chargers.

There’s hardly any public charging infrastructure for two-wheelers. That’s why we at Raptee are building tech that allows our motorcycles to leverage car charging stations—something no other two-wheeler EV currently does. It helps bridge the infrastructure gap while new standards evolve.

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What kind of public-private charging partnerships could support two-wheelers, especially in Tier 2 or Tier 3 cities?

In India, two-wheelers are not purely utilitarian—they're aspirational. More two-wheelers are sold here annually than all the cars in the US. So, emotion and brand loyalty play a huge role. That’s partly why battery swapping hasn’t taken off—people feel like they don’t own their battery and fear getting a degraded one in return.

Two-wheeler EVs need charging infrastructure that matches their emotional and aspirational positioning, not just total cost of ownership models.

India recently cut tariffs for EV makers investing over -$500 million. Are such policies favourable for small EV startups like yours?

Tech is a great leveller. Legacy OEMs are still reliant on Tier-1 suppliers and not built to vertically integrate EV tech. Startups like us have the agility and expertise to develop in-house components and deliver complete tech solutions.

Our bet is on electric motorcycles—a space uniquely Indian. These bikes are exported globally by Indian companies, and we believe EV motorcycle innovation must also come from India. That’s Raptee’s mission.

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If Tesla enters at a premium price, will that help or hurt the two-wheeler EV market?

I actually worked at Tesla—ran production lines in Fremont and Tilburg. Tesla’s north star is pace of innovation, and they set the benchmark for others. Their presence in India will push all OEMs, including local players, to level up.

While Tesla will impact four-wheelers more directly, it will raise awareness for EVs in general, which benefits everyone—including us in the two-wheeler space. Their entry signals that India is ready for large-scale electrification.

Any closing thoughts on the road ahead for India’s two-wheeler EV market?

It’s incredible how fast things are moving. Just a year ago, few were sure if India was ready for EVs. Now, everyone knows it’s inevitable.

While cars have 5 per cent EV penetration and scooters are at 16 per cent, motorcycles are still below 0.1 per cent. That’s a massive white space. We’re focused on filling that gap—giving customers real options in the motorcycle category. That’s how we’ll accelerate true EV adoption across all segments.

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