February 2022 turned out to be a particularly tough month for big players in the two-wheeler industry. Some manufacturers reported a double-digit decline in sales, impacted by factors such as the global chip shortage, sluggish rural demand, and higher prices. The EV space, however, seems to be immune to the trend, with Ather Energy reporting a solid 140 percent year-on-year growth over February 2021.
Royal Enfield: 52,135 units, -20 percent
Royal Enfield posted domestic wholesales of 52,135 units in February 2022, a drop of 20 percent, as against sales of 65,114 units during the same period last year, due to semiconductor shortages. The company says it is working with its supplier ecosystem to increase availability of the part and reduce waiting periods.
Hero MotoCorp: 3,58,254 units, -32 percent
Hero MotoCorp sold 3,58,254 units including exports in February 2022. Compared to this, the company sold 5,05,467 units in February 2021. The company's exports in this month stood at 26,792 units over 21,034 units in the year-earlier period. With regards to the year to date performance, total sales were 44,93,996 units as against 52,41,581 units, a fall of 14 percent.
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India: 2,85,677 units, -31 percent
Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India reported a 31 percent decline to 2,85,677-unit domestic sales during February 2022, as compared to 4,11,622 units recorded in the same month last year.
In other news, the company is expanding its dealer network in places such as Punjab and Maharashtra, and also announced availability of H’ness CB350 and CB350RS at 35 CSD Depots across the country.
TVS Motor Company: 2,81,714 units, -5 percent
TVS Motor Company registered a drop of 5 percent in total wholesales to 2,81,714 units in February 2022, in comparison to corresponding period last year when it had posted 2,97,747 units.
The company said in a statement, "The shortage in chip supply impacted the production and sales of premium two-wheelers.”
Suzuki India: 58,603 units, -3.3 percent
Suzuki Motorcycle India sold 58,603 units in the domestic market for the month of February 2022, a 3.3 percent drop in the month-on-month sales. The company is upbeat about the market, despite the current scenario, and expects demand to improve in both domestic and international markets.
Ather Energy: 2,042 units, +140 percent
Ather Energy managed to sell 2,042 scooters in February 2022, which is a 140 percent year-on-year growth over February 2021. The EV manufacturer stated there is a large demand and supply gap that it's trying to plug by working with its supplier partners.