Electric vehicle growth in Tamil Nadu: beyond major urban centers

Introduction The rapid growth of electric vehicles (EVs) registrations requires a better understanding of how EV registrations vary across geographical areas. This study examines the geographical and temporal patterns of EV registrations across Regional Transport Office (RTO) regions in Tamil Nadu from 2022 to 2025. Methods Secondary data were obtained from the official Tamil Nadu EV Registration portal. Registrations of electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers were analyzed using temporal trends, vehicle-category composition, RTO-level growth, registration concentration, and a separate analysis of Chennai RTO regions. Results Total EV registrations increased from 69,785 in 2022 to 165,818 in 2025, representing a 137.61% increase. Two-wheelers remained the dominant category, while four-wheelers recorded substantial growth. Tiruppur and Coimbatore emerged as important RTOs in 2025. The share of the top five and top ten RTOs decreased from 14.24% and 24.52% in 2022 to 11.28% and 19.90% in 2025, respectively. Chennai registrations increased from 11,663 to 17,499 during the study period. Discussion The findings show a clear increase in EV registrations across Tamil Nadu, along with changes in the contribution of different RTO areas and vehicle categories. The lower shares of the top five and top ten RTO areas in 2025 compared with 2022 suggest that EV registrations were spread across a wider range of RTO areas. However, registration data only show the number of vehicles registered and do not provide information about actual vehicle use or the charging infrastructure required.