TVS’ first electric scooter in India could be based on the Creon concept showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo earlier this year
TVS Motor Company has the unique knack of impressing spectators and enthusiasts at Auto Expo over the years with futuristic concepts and this year it was no different. The Zeppelin concept was the first cruiser study from TVS with 1,200 W regenerative assist motor, a 48 V Li-ion battery and Integrated Starter Generator.
It was accompanied by an all-electric scooter based dubbed Creon. Over the last four editions of the Auto Expo, TVS brought in innovative scooter concepts including Creon, iQube, and Entorq 210 and we expect the former to enter production sometime next year.
Recently, the Hosur-based manufacturer invested Rs. 5 crore in electric mobility startup Ultraviolette Automotive and bought 14.78 percent stake and it could help in its fast-paced push towards electrification. The Creon in its concept form featured three lithium-ion batteries powering an electric motor of 12 kW capacity.
TVS claimed that the Creon could accelerate from zero to 60 kmph in just 5.1 seconds with an impressive range of 80 km on a single charge. As similar to the concept, the production version could aim at both performance and efficiency. Using a fast charging facility, the Creon was said to replenish up to 80 percent in just an hour.
Another advanced technology the Creon came equipped with was TFT screen that showed a whole lot of information including battery charge and health status. TVS partnered with Intel to develop the in-vehicle connectivity comprising of a cloud service, smartphone integration, parking assist, geo-fencing, different riding modes and ant-theft safety features.
The parking assist technology in particular was already speculated to be used on the upcoming electric TVS scooter. It assesses throttle, braking and speed while the forward moving assist comes into play only at speeds below 6 kmph and the reverse assist when at standstill without using brakes.
The concept allowed space for a full-face helmet underneath the seat and it had single channel ABS system. Except TVS to use the same perimeter frame from concept while developing the Creon. It could make a huge breakthrough in the yet-to-be mainstreamed electric two-wheeler space in India and it will be interesting to see how it stacks up against the speculated Urbanite e-scooter brand from Bajaj.