YANGON: Sales of electric motorcycles (EV bikes) have surged in Mandalay due to the ongoing fuel shortage, with some shops reportedly running out of stock, according to local sources.
The current fuel crisis, along with long queues at petrol stations and concerns over restrictions on odd- and even-numbered vehicles, has prompted residents to turn to electric motorcycles. EV bikes, which previously had slow sales, are now selling out within hours in some stores.
“Initially, sales were not very strong right after the announcement. But starting the next morning, all the EV bikes in our shop were sold out,” said an EV motorcycle dealer.
“Previously, we could hardly sell even one bike a day. Now, the entire stock in the shop can be sold within a few hours. Some customers even asked if they could place advance orders, but we had to refuse because we no longer have any stock.”
Another EV motorcycle seller wrote on social media that almost every e-bike shop in Mandalay was crowded with buyers rushing to purchase bikes.
“People were pushing and rushing into the shops to grab a bike. Some even ran in and held onto a bike, saying they would take that one,” he wrote.
“Many shops had to close because they couldn’t handle the crowd. All the bikes were sold out. We don’t know what will happen next. At our shop, customers started arriving around 6 a.m. When the stock was gone, some stayed and waited, while others placed deposits for the next shipment. We are trying to sell at normal prices, but the problem is that companies are running out of stock and cannot supply enough.”
One buyer also shared his experience: “In the morning, a shop had two EV bikes. One was already being purchased. I didn’t like the colour of the other one, so I went to check the motorcycle dealer area near 38th Street but couldn’t find any. I came back about an hour later to buy that bike, but it was already gone.”
Currently, buyers prefer new EV motorcycles because they are concerned about battery warranties for used bikes.
As a result, the market for second-hand EV bikes remains weak. Meanwhile, riders of fuel-powered motorcycles reportedly have to wait in line at petrol stations for about two hours and can only buy fuel worth around 5,000 kyats (US$2.38) at a time. - Eleven Media/ANN
