India has 150 million drivers and only 8,000 want electric cars: Report

Barely more than 8,000 EVs were sold locally during the past six years, China sells more than that in two days

Hyundai Motor Co. launched India’s first electric SUV this summer with a quirky TV commercial urging millennials to “Drive Into the Future.” A few months later, the automaker finds itself on a lonesome road.

In a nation of about 150 million drivers, only 130 Kona SUVs were sold to dealers through August. That slow pace is emblematic of the difficulties carmakers face in establishing an electric foothold in the fourth-biggest auto market, even with committed government support.

The Kona sells for about $35,000 while the average Indian earns about $2,000 a year -- and the best-selling gas guzzler costs $4,000.