Kathmandu’s appetite for two-wheelers continues to grow, with almost 1 lakh new motorcycles and scooters registered in the Valley during the last fiscal year.
Strong growth in new registrations
The Transport Management Office at Gurjudhara, which handles all new two-wheeler registrations for Kathmandu Valley, recorded 98,727 new motorcycles and scooters in Fiscal Year 2025/26.
This is 26.44% higher than the previous year, when 78,081 units were registered. The increase confirms that more Valley residents are choosing personal two-wheelers for daily travel.
Petrol bikes still dominate, but EVs are rising fast
According to Gurjudhara’s Information Officer Govindraj Shivakoti, 88,353 petrol-powered motorcycles and scooters were registered in 2025/26, up from 73,081 units a year earlier.
Electric scooters saw even faster growth. Registrations more than doubled within a year, climbing from around 5,000 units to 10,374 units. As a result, electric two-wheelers now account for 10.51% of all new registrations, compared to 6.4% the previous fiscal year.
Why more riders are choosing two-wheelers
Officials link the jump in registrations to higher sales of new bikes and scooters in the market. In Kathmandu, many commuters still face limited access to fast, reliable public transport, so owning a motorcycle or scooter remains a practical choice for daily travel.
Growth in ride-sharing, food delivery and courier services is also supporting demand. These sectors rely heavily on two-wheelers, encouraging more young workers and students to buy bikes and scooters for income and convenience.
Fuel prices push interest in electric scooters
While electric cars have been gaining popularity in Nepal for some time, electric two-wheelers were expanding more slowly. That trend shifted after the recent conflict in the Middle East led to a sharp rise in petrol prices.
Higher fuel costs, lower running and maintenance expenses for EVs, and the arrival of new electric scooter models with better range and features have encouraged many urban buyers to switch to electric.
Last fiscal year, over 23,000 electric scooters were imported into Nepal, and nearly half of them were registered in Kathmandu. This shows the capital is leading the country’s transition to electric two-wheelers.
Gurjudhara office passes 1.66 million registrations
Since it started operations, the Gurjudhara Transport Management Office has registered more than 1.66 million two-wheelers in total. Some of these have later been deregistered or moved to other provinces, but the figure underlines how central Kathmandu is to Nepal’s motorcycle and scooter market.
For buyers, the latest data signals two clear trends: petrol bikes remain the main choice for most riders, but electric scooters are quickly becoming a serious alternative as operating costs and fuel prices shape long-term decisions.
Reported by the Nepal AutoMart news desk. Prices verified against Nepal AutoMart's own distributor-sourced data.
