Sunday, January 3, 2010

Delhi Auto Expo 2010: Look out for electric scooters

At the Delhi Auto Expo 2010, electric scooters will be major attraction. Many of you might not like the electric scooter because it is not so powerful like the traditional motorcycle but it is an ideal ride for city people. In cities, you can not ride vehicles at a high speed. Moreover, due to traffic jams and traffic stops, you would go at a slower pace and make frequent stops. The best thing about electric scooters is their smaller size which makes them highly maneuverable in congested streets and most importantly, they save lots of money because they do not run on fuel. Such a ride is very good for students and low income people.

Green technologies is a major focus in this years auto expo. Aside from hybrid, LPG and CNG driven vehicles, there will be e-scooters and taxis. Emmel Vheelers is one such company. Set up in 2008, it is an e-bike manufacturer. It has a production facility at Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra that can produce 3,000 units per month. At the expo, Emmel Vheelers, will display a hybrid three-wheeler, e-motorcycles, high-powered scooters. Its major electric scooter models inclue- Vee Elite, Vee Sharp, and Vee Dhoom. Manoj Laxmeshwar, President, Emmel Vheelers said:

“The market for electric two-wheelers is picking up. In the last month, around 3,500 units were sold. Last year, around 40,000 electric vehicles were sold against a market expectation of one lakh. This was because of recession. But now the market is picking up,”

Currently, the Indian market for two-wheeled electric vehicles is estimated to be Rs.4 billion and there are 300,000 electric vehicles on the road. Already, many companies are looking forward to foray in this segment.

Tube Investments of India Ltd, a subsidiary of the Murugappa Group, already inaugurated an electric scooter plant in Chennai with a production capacity of 100 units per day. Initially, it will launch three low-speed models priced within Rs. 25,000. Later, it will also produce two high-speed models which will have a base price of Rs.36,000.

Hero Electric, which already sells electric vehicles in India, recently announced its plan to assemble e-scooters in foreign markets. The company will form collaboration with local players and might enter into agreements in 2011. The company signed a MoU with Canada’s Electrovaya to produce lithium-ion batteries in December 2009.

Eko Vehicles, a Bangalore based company, launched a hybrid motorcycle that run on a combination of 70cc petrol engine and electric motor. It also has plans to launch an electric scooter.

Related article:

The Telegraph