Electric 2-wheeler maker Okinawa Scooters has received FAME-II approval and is eligible for incentivization. The company has received certificate of eligibility from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) for its lithium-ion battery powered Okinawa i-Praise and Ridge+ models.

Based on the kWh rating, customers will receive a subsidy of Rs. 17,000-26,000 on the Okinawa Ridge+ and i-Praise. The Okinawa Ridge+ is powered by an 800 watt electric motor and a lithium-ion battery that has a claimed range of 120 km of a single charge. The i-Praise uses a 1,000 watt motor with a peak power of 2,500 watt. It comes with a 2.9 kWh lithium-ion battery that has a claimed range of 160-180 km on a single charge.

Under FAME-II, an OEM is required to have 50% local content in the e-vehicles to be eligible for incentives. The testing agencies have to ensure compliance of Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP) as per the guidelines set by the Department of Heavy Industry.

According to a media report, the sales of e-bikes fell from around 6,000 units in March to almost nil in April. Sales in May is expected to be in the hundreds and it could pick up pace only in August.

The report suggests that the reason for the fall in sales is the new FAME-II scheme, as the new rules require re-certification of all existing vehicles. The scheme came into effect on April 1, 2019, but the OEMs were informed of the re-certification only in March 2019. It is claimed that the certification process takes 2-3 months and all manufacturers should meet 50% localization to avail a subsidy. It is also claimed that only 3 models were certified by the end of April.

Some manufacturers claim that they have not been given enough time to prepare. Batteries, motors and controllers for electric vehicles are imported and they account for more than 50% of the price of the vehicle. They claim that localization is difficult considering the number of electric two-wheelers sold. It is reported that annual volumes should reach 1 million units for vendors to sell at competitive prices.

The report also suggests that the price of electric two-wheelers under the new scheme could increase by Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 12,000, which would further pull down sales. While the vehicles were getting a subsidy of Rs. 22,000 under FAME I, the subsidy is expected to be Rs. 10,000 per kWh under the new scheme. In comparison, buses get a subsidy of Rs. 20,000 per kWh under FAME II.

Even without the difficulties of FAME II, only 1,26,000 electric two-wheelers were sold in the last financial year. The government intends to sell a million vehicles in the next three years.

Source: Economic Times

After launching its electric scooters in Bangalore, Ather Energy will offer its products in Chennai from June 2019. Customers can now place pre-orders on the company's website.

Ather Energy will be introducing both the 450 and the 340 e-scooters in Chennai. The company will be setting up Ather Grid - public charging infrastructure at places like cafes, malls, tech-parks, gyms in the city. For the first 6 months, all EV users will be able to use Ather Points to charge their vehicles for free.

According to the company, the Ather 450 e-scooter is sold out in Bangalore till September 2019. There are 31 charging points at 24 locations in the city.

The Ather 340 and the Ather 450 are powered by a Brushless DC electric motor (BLDC). The Ather 340 has an output of 6 BHP and 20 Nm and comes with a 1.92 kWh lithium-ion battery, while the 450 variant makes 7.2 BHP and 20.5 Nm of torque. It gets a 2.4 kWh lithium-ion battery. The claimed maximum range of the two scooters is 86 km and 107 km respectively.

Hero Electric has announced an exchange offer on old petrol 2-wheelers. The company is offering Rs. 6,000 over the market value of the old 2-wheeler in order to encourage customers to switch to electric scooters.

Hero Electric claims that by switching to e-bikes, customers can save Rs. 70,000 on petrol and maintenance costs. The reduction in emissions is said to be equivalent to planting two full grown trees. The company is also offering 3 years warranty on the bike and battery.

Hero Electric is rolling out a national campaign to connect with consumers and promote the benefits and usage of electric 2-wheelers. The campaign will be launched in over 20 cities, including Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, Jaipur, Chennai, Rohtak, Hyderabad and Lucknow. Promotional drives are expected to be organized at residential complexes, markets, malls, schools, colleges and corporate institutions.

Hero Electric has a 45% market share in the electric 2-wheeler segment in India. The company has over 450 touch points across the country.

Okinawa Scooters has launched its i-Praise electric scooter priced at Rs. 1.15 lakh (ex-showroom). The company claims to have received 450 bookings in the pre-launch phase. 

The Okinawa i-Praise measures 1,970 mm in length, 745 mm in width and 1,150 mm in height. It has a ground clearance of 175 mm and underseat storage capacity of 7 litres. It features a V-shaped LED headlamp cluster mounted on the front fairing. The e-scooter rides on telescopic fork suspension at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear and comes with aluminium alloy wheels.

Powering the i-Praise is an electric motor with a rated power of 1,000 Watt and peak power of 2,500 Watt. The motor is paired with a 2.9 kWh lithium-ion battery that offers a claimed range of 160-180 km on a single charge. The battery pack in this scooter is detachable and can be recharged in 2-3 hours.

The i-Praise comes with the Okinawa Eco app. The Android app has features like Geo-fencing, virtual speed limit, curfew hours, battery health tracker and overall vehicle status, SOS notifications, driving behaviour monitoring system, trip data logger, navigation as well as a maintenance and insurance reminder.

The Okinawa i-Praise is available in three colour options - glossy red black, glossy golden black and glossy silver black.

The government of India is planning to impose a 'green cess' on petrol-powered 2-wheelers to incentivise e-bikes. The additional tax could range from Rs. 800-1,000.

According to a media report, the government intends to reduce the price gap between electric 2-wheelers and petrol bikes, while at the same time promote the use of e-bikes. It aims to bring 1 million electric 2-wheelers on roads in the next 2-3 years.

The introduction of a green cess could prompt bike makers to hike prices of their products. While the increase in prices is likely to affect growth, the sale of electric 2-wheelers could compensate for it. In 2018, 21.6 million 2-wheelers were sold in India. The 2-wheeler segment registered a growth of 12.8%. 

Source: Economic Times

According to a media report, Lambretta is planning a return to the Indian market in 2020. The 2-wheeler manufacturer will reportedly showcase a prototype electric scooter at the 2020 Auto Expo.

Lambretta's scooter for India is expected to feature classic styling and will use an electric powertrain sourced from one of its global partners. The company is also reported to be planning to launch a Super Lambretta with a metal body. It is likely to be bigger than existing Lambretta models. 

In India, Lambretta's parent company - Innocenti has partnered with Lohia Auto and New Delhi-based Bird Group. Reports suggest that Innocenti is planning to setup an assembly plant around Mumbai. It will serve as a production hub for countries in this region along with Africa.

Innocenti has also started invalidity proceedings against Scooters India for unlawful licensing of the Lambretta trademark in the EU. In the wake of this, Scooters India has withdrawn its opposition against the trademark registrations of Lambretta in India.

Source: Overdrive

Along with the Ather One subscription plan which was announced at the launch of the Ather 340 & 450 electric scooters, the company has now introduced three new subscription plans for customers.

The base plan is called Ather Connect. It costs Rs. 3,000 + GST per year and offers over-the-air updates, remote diagnostics, ride recommendations and on-board navigation. Ather Service costs Rs. 6,000 + GST per year and offers vehicle service, roadside assistance in addition to Ather Connect services. Ather Charge is a charging focused plan that offers home charging and unlimited public charging at AtherGrid points. It also costs Rs. 6,000 + GST per year.

Ather One will remain the flagship plan with an annual cost of Rs. 8,400 + GST. All expenses including maintenance costs are covered under this plan. Subscribers get all the benefits of Ather Connect, home charging and public fast charging as well as vehicle service and roadside assistance.

Ather One is available to existing customers during the first year of ownership for free. Upon completion of the first year, customers can choose from the aforementioned plans. This offer has been discontinued from October 31, 2018 and those planning to pre-order will get the Ather Service plan for free for a limited period. Further, public charging at AtherGrid will remain free till December 31, 2019 for all Ather customers.

Electric 2-wheeler brand Okinawa has launched its Ridge+ e-scooter featuring a detachable lithium-ion battery. It is priced at Rs. 64,988 (ex-showroom).

The Ridge+ features a V-shaped headlamp, while the turn signals are placed on the handlebar housing. It is powered by an 800 watt Brushless DC (BLDC) motor and a lithium-ion battery, which can be removed for charging and offers a claimed range of 120 km on a single charge. The scooter has a claimed top speed of 55 km/h.

The Ridge+ has drum brakes at both ends and it comes equipped with Electronic-Assisted Braking System (E-ABS) with regenerative braking. It also has a feature called 'Find My Scooter' that allows the rider to locate the scooter remotely.

Okinawa plans to roll out 500 units of the Ridge+ in select states during the month of October 2018. An additional 1,500 units are planned for the month of November. The scooter is available in 2 colour options - Lucent Orange / Magna Grey and Mid Night Blue.

The first edition of the Electric Vehicle Technology Expo (EV EXPO) South 2018 will be held at Chandragupta Maurya Playground / Shalini Ground in Bangalore from September 21, 2018. 

The event will be inaugurated by Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Mr. Ananth Kumar, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. Over 40 national and international EV manufacturers will be taking part in the 3-day exhibition. Brands like Toyota, Mahindra Electric, Volvo, Tata Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Hero MotoCorp and TVS are expected to showcase their products.

Products like e-Rickshaws, e-Carts, e-Bikes, e-Scooters, e-bicycles and e-Loaders will be put on display. Advancements in EV technologies as well as the latest lithium batteries and charging stations will also be displayed at the event.