I've never been to India, but I have seen (and heard, and smelled) the multitude of two-stroke-engine-powered vehicles in Southern European cities, so I can imagine having them replaced by electric versions would be a blessing...
> the multitude of two-stroke-engine-powered vehicles in Southern European cities, so I can imagine having them replaced by electric versions
In India, the 4-stroke came in big right around the time when leaded fuel got banned. The anti-knock stuff only really worked properly on a 4-stroke, so you'll notice that it took somewhere between 2000 and 2005 to really kill the new vehicle market for 2S.
However, the sound, that is what is completely different about these - you can actually talk on your phone sitting in the electric versions, while the petrol ones need you to shout over it when it goes up a hill.
The most interesting intersection for me was the mobile app and the EV charger combo the drivers use.
In my last visit to Kerala there were plug points under some street lights which could charge these 3-wheelers at 240v at 15amps off the pole.
These guys would just be parked right under one of those, with their mobile apps open & they'll unplug only once they get a pickup location, keeping their batteries perpetually topped up when idle.
Strange... even Vespa (which is by no means a cheap scooter) had a two-stroke engine in its base model until 2017, according to https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa_Primavera (German version, the English one has less details). Of course, if it's not commonly available at gas stations, preparing the gasoline/oil mixture for a two-stroke engine becomes a bit of a hassle...
California long ago banned 2 cycle golf carts. I used to until recently owned one. If you said they were a 100 times more polluting than a car with a catalytic converter I'd believe it. For a developing country better air quality, less noise and not needing to import oil seem like a win win win.
