Yulu Fights MoRTH Proposal to Drop Low-Speed EV Mass Limit

Yulu Bikes Pvt. Ltd. has formally opposed a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways proposal to remove the unladen weight limit for low-speed electric vehicles, warning that the change could trigger an influx of heavy unregistered transport. The regulatory dispute centers on a draft notification issued by MoRTH on August 21, which proposes substituting Rule 2(u) of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. While retaining the 25 km/h maximum speed cap and 600-watt electric motor power limit, the draft completely deletes the historical 60-kilogram weight ceiling that previously governed exempt battery-operated vehicles.

For Bengaluru-based Yulu, which operates more than 50,000 compliant vehicles and commands an estimated 60 percent share of India's shared micro-mobility market, the deletion creates dangerous regulatory vulnerabilities. The company warns that eliminating the mass parameter will allow heavy-duty, tubular-steel frames with dual seating and large cargo capacities to enter the market legally under the low-speed exemption category. Yulu has filed formal objections with the ministry and plans to coordinate its opposition through the Startup Policy Forum, while keeping judicial recourse open if the draft is finalized without physical safeguards.

The core argument against deregulating vehicle weight rests on basic kinetic energy principles, where impact severity is determined by the combination of mass and velocity. Under the previous regulatory framework, the 60-kilogram ceiling physically restricted the structural capacity of exempt vehicles, maintaining a risk profile comparable to a standard bicycle. Removing this physical constraint enables manufacturers and importers to build heavier machines that legally adhere to a 25 km/h limit on test benches but present significantly greater hazards during collisions.

"The reason why weight was put was essentially speed at 25 kilometers, something of 60 kilo versus something of 80 kilo... mass into velocity," explained RK Misra, Co-founder and President of Ecosystem Partnerships at Yulu. "The impact will be much more if it's a heavier vehicle. You get hit by a truck at 10 kilometers per hour or you get hit by a Maruti at 10 kilometers per hour, the impact will be very, very different."

The debate highlights persistent enforcement hurdles in India's electric vehicle sector, particularly regarding imported completely-knocked-down kits equipped with programmable motor controllers. Operators point out that vehicles ostensibly restricted to 25 km/h often feature hidden switches that allow speeds to reach 40 or 45 km/h. While software speed limiters can be manipulated easily, unladen mass remains a physically immutable characteristic that enforcement officers can inspect visually.

"Today, a lot of Chinese illegal bikes are running. Though they have a 25 km/h limit, they have put a switch; when they put the switch on, it can go up to 40 or 45," Misra noted. "The RTO guy says, 'Sir, when we check, it is 25,' but then they are running at 45. Now, weight is something which they can't change with a switch. It's not software-controlled. That's the only thing which is physically verifiable." Without a weight limit, officials argue that traffic police will struggle to prevent the proliferation of unregistered ghost fleets operating at illegal speeds.

Industry analysts suggest the ministry's draft may have been intended to resolve bottlenecks faced by testing agencies such as the Automotive Research Association of India. Manufacturers building vehicles slightly above the 60-kilogram threshold due to safer Lithium Iron Phosphate battery integrations or standard manufacturing variances frequently encounter certification delays under the rigid framework. Transitioning to performance-based metrics of speed and power could represent an attempt to modernize vehicle approval processes.

However, micro-mobility operators maintain that this approach relies on a level of roadside technological enforcement that is currently absent on Indian thoroughfares. While regional transport officers cannot easily inspect proprietary motor controllers during routine checks, identifying an oversized, dual-seat vehicle operating without registration plates remains straightforward. Critics argue that removing physical limits shifts an unmanageable enforcement burden onto street-level police officers.

The regulatory battle carries substantial downstream consequences for India's quick-commerce sector, which relies extensively on micro-mobility fleets to power deliveries for platforms such as Swiggy, Zomato, Zepto, and Blinkit. These platforms depend on a transient workforce of rural migrants who often lack conventional driving licenses or the capital required for standard motorcycles. Yulu's operations alone facilitate between six and ten deliveries every second nationwide.

Company leadership emphasizes that the shared micro-mobility ecosystem supports roughly 100,000 gig workers and up to 500,000 dependents. The industry's primary fear is that an influx of heavy, unhelmeted, and unregistered vehicles will cause a surge in accidents, ultimately inviting public interest litigation that could result in sweeping judicial bans against the entire low-speed sector.

"There will be bikes without numbers running around without helmets, causing accidents... Somebody going to the Supreme Court (calling for a ban against micro-mobility industry) and saying these low-speed bikes are bad, without realizing who caused it," Misra warned.

In its formal submission, Yulu urged MoRTH to reinstate the 60-kilogram unladen weight ceiling while potentially introducing a marginal tolerance leeway to accommodate advanced battery technology. Alternatively, if the ministry proceeds with removing the weight metric, the company recommends establishing strict physical safeguards, including mandatory single-seat configurations, explicit cargo capacity limits, and physical verification protocols at point of sale.

As the statutory 30-day public objection window concludes, the broader automotive and shared mobility sectors await formal ministerial feedback. The outcome of this regulatory review will determine whether India's low-speed electric vehicle framework maintains physical mass restrictions or transitions entirely to performance-based oversight.