Mainstream two-wheeler players are expected to jump on the electric bandwagon sooner to capitalise on the burgeoning space
As predicted earlier, the Indian two-wheeler industry is shaping up to be relatively faster in adopting EV technology. During the course of this calendar year, we have seen the emergence of several new start-ups and the list includes some of the promising ones such as Ola Electric and Simple Energy. Both the companies had unveiled their debut electric scooters on the same day.
The Simple One is priced competitively at Rs. 1.09 lakh (ex-showroom) and it has a class-leading riding range of 203 km in Eco mode and 236 km in IDC conditions. The top speed is claimed at 105 kmph and is to accelerate from zero to 50 kmph in just 3.6 seconds, and 0-40 kmph in 2.95 seconds. It comes with features like a seven-inch digital cluster, navigation, Bluetooth, TPMS, geo-fencing, and so on.
The more promising Ola S1 scooter is priced at Rs. 99,999 with 121 km range and 90 kmph top speed while the top-spec S1 Pro has a claimed range of 181 km with 115 kmph and it costs Rs. 1,21,999. Courtesy of government subsidies, the S1 costs only Rs. 85,099 and Rs. 1,10,149 for the S1 Pro in Delhi.
It is cheaper in Gujarat and costs Rs. 79,999 for S1 and Rs. 1,09,999 for the S1 Pro (all prices, ex-showroom). We will certainly see plenty of action in the eco-friendly space in the coming years and we do expect more mainstream manufacturers to jump on the bandwagon. Bajaj Auto entered the lucrative yet unexplored segment via the Chetak in early 2020.
Its main rival, TVS Motor Company, debuted the iQube to join the party. The Hosur-based brand is expected to bring in the production version of the Creon next as the launch of a new product has been scheduled for September 14 but we do not know the exact nature of the two-wheeler yet as it could be RTR 165 RP or a new 125 cc motorcycle.
Hero MotoCorp is widely reported to launch its electric scooter in early 2022 while the development of Yamaha’s zero-emission vehicle for India appears to have begun as well. Suzuki’s Burgman based e-scooter has been testing on public roads for many months now and it could debut sometime next year.