Terra Motors to Resume Africa Exports, Opens New Plant in Bengaluru

Key Highlights:

• Terra Motors plans to restart exports of its electric rickshaws and e-autos to Africa.
• The company aims to manufacture 60,000 units annually and open 100 dealerships in India.
• Terra Motors currently has plants in Kolkata and Manesar.
• The company earned ₹250 crore in 2024–25 and targets a revenue of ₹350–₹400 crore by 2025–26.
• India leads the global electric three-wheeler market with nearly 7 lakh units sold in 2024.

Terra Motors plans to restart selling its electricrickshaws and e-autos in Africa by late 2025. They are also opening a new factory in Bengaluru to expand their production in India. Although the production capacity of the Bengaluru plant hasn’t been shared yet, company officials said that with the launch of their new electric auto called "KYORO+," they aim to open 100 dealerships and manufacture 60,000 units per year by the end of 2025.

Masanori Takahashi, CTO and Director at Terra Motors, shared that states like West Bengal and Assam have a high demand for L5 vehicles. Dispatching products directly from their Kolkata plant helps reduce transport costs, which benefits the company. He also mentioned that the Bengaluru plant will help supply vehicles to the southern region, while the Manesar plant will serve the northern areas, including Delhi and nearby locations.

About Terra Motors

Terra Motors was founded in Tokyo in 2010 and has since become a major player in Asia's electric vehicle industry. Terra Motors is a Japanese electric vehicle manufacturer. They have factories in India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Japan, and sell their products in South and Southeast Asia. Since entering the Indian market in 2014, Terra Motors has grown quickly, with over 400 dealerships.

Terra Motors began its operations in India with a factory in Kolkata, which currently makes around 36,000 to 50,000 e-rickshaws every year. They also have another plant in Manesar, Haryana, which can produce about 5,000 to 10,000 L5 vehicles each year. Now, the company is focusing on southern India and plans to set up a new L5 vehicle factory in Bengaluru. They also plan to expand the Kolkata plant to make L5 vehicles.

Terra Motors is also preparing to restart exports to African countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nigeria. These exports were earlier paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company is now in talks with local dealers in these regions to begin shipments again.

Go Suzuki, Managing Director of Terra Motors, said that while discussions with partners in Africa are ongoing, the company's current priority is to strengthen its business in India. Terra Motors is also planning to expand into nearby South Asian countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar, where the demand for electric three-wheelers is rising. According to Takahashi, these markets offer great potential, especially in areas where petrol vehicles are not widely used and electric options are becoming more popular.

A senior official from Terra Motors shared that the company earned ₹250 crore in 2024–25 from its electric three-wheeler and financing business. It now aims to grow this to ₹350–₹400 crore by the end of 2025–26, with a long-term goal of crossing ₹1,000 crore by 2030.

Electric three-wheeler Market

India continues to lead in the electric three-wheeler segment, which is the largest part of the country’s EV market, with over 60% share. As per the International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook 2025, India has become the world’s biggest electric three-wheeler market for the second year in a row. In 2024, nearly 7 lakh electric three-wheelers were sold in India, marking an 18% increase from the previous year. In comparison, China sold 3 lakh units, a 6% drop from the previous year.

Also Read: Electric Three-Wheelers Lead India’s EV Shift in April 2025

CMV360 Says

Terra Motors' expansion plans show strong confidence in India's electric three-wheeler market. With rising demand and strategic manufacturing in key regions, the company is well-placed to grow further. Their focus on both domestic sales and exports could help them become a major global player in the e-auto segment.