Gurgaon-based Okinawa Autotech has launched its second electric scooter in the Indian market. The Okinawa Praise is priced at Rs. 59,889 (ex-showroom, Delhi). It comes in three colour options – Purple, Golden and Blue

The Praise is positioned at a higher segment compared to its budget sibling Ridge, which was launched earlier this year. The Praise measures 1,970 mm in overall length while the width and height is 745 mm and 1,145 mm respectively. It has a ground clearance of 170 mm and gets 19.5 litres of under seat storage.

The front cowl of the Praise features a V-shaped LED headlamp cluster with an LED DRL strip. Turn signals have been placed on the scooter's handle along with a digital instrument cluster. At the rear, it gets an LED tail light and indicators.

The Okinawa Praise rides on 12-inch wheels, comes with a telescopic front suspension and twin rear shocks. It has twin-disc brakes in the front and single disc brake in the rear and comes equipped with E-ABS (Electronic Assisted Braking System). The front disks are concentric ones mounted on the right side of the wheel with a common caliper setup in the middle. 

The Praise is powered by a water-resistant, high phase Brushless DC (BLDC) electric motor with a peak power rating of 2,500 W (3.35 BHP), while the torque ranges from 18 Nm to 40 Nm. It has three riding modes – Economy (35 km/h), Sporty (65 km/h) and Turbo (75 km/h). With a top speed 75 km/h, the Okinawa Praise is claimed to be the fastest e-scooter in India. 

It comes with a choice of two batteries - a valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) battery that takes 6-8 hours to charge and a lithium-ion battery which charges in just 2 hours. Currently, the e-scooter will only be available with the VRLA battery. The company claims a range of 175-200 km on a single charge. 

Features such as side-stand sensor, keyless-go with anti-theft mechanism and 'Find My Scooter’ function are standard. 

Dealerships have been accepting bookings for the Praise since the last month but the first units are likely to be delivered by the end of December 2017.

Source: TOI

In January 2017, Okinawa Autotech launched the Ridge - its first electric scooter in India. The Gurgaon based company is now gearing up to launch its second e-scooter, the Praise in December 2017. 

A teaser image of the Praise released by the company reveals a large V-shaped headlamp cluster with an integrated LED daytime running light (DRL) on the apron flanked by LED pilot lamps.

The image further reveals that the Praise is likely to get a telescopic fork front suspension that is finished in a golden shade. While the Ridge is offered with drum brakes, the Praise is likely to get a disc brake in the front. The e-scooter will come equipped with side stand sensors, an anti-theft sensor in the main stand and combi brakes.

The company claims that the Okinawa Praise has clocked the highest speed and the longest range yet achieved by an e-scooter. This means, it is expected to be quicker than the Ridge, which has a top speed of 55 km/h. It also means that it will have a longer range than the Ridge's 80-90 km on a single charge.

Pre-bookings for the Praise open on November 24, 2017. The booking amount has been set at Rs. 2,000.

TVS is reportedly working on an electric scooter based on the Jupiter. It is rumoured to be launched by June 2018.

It has been reported that the new electric scooter will have a lithium-ion battery, which will power an electric motor. The battery is expected to offer a maximum range of 50 km. 

Now, electric 2-wheelers are not new to the Indian market. Hero Electric and Ampere have been selling e-bikes for the last 3-4 years. But, a recent shift in the government's policy has forced mainstream 2-wheeler brands to rethink their future product strategy. 

Bajaj is working on a new electric 2-wheeler which is expected to be launched in 2020. Mahindra is reportedly working on an electric version of the Gusto. The company is also planning to introduce its US-based GenZe brand in India.

Hero MotoCorp has recently invested Rs. 205 crore in Ather Energy – a Bangalore based startup. The company is likely to launch its first electric scooter – S340, in three Indian cities by early 2018. They recently announced their plan to invest Rs. 60 crores in its manufacturing facility near Bangalore.

Source: Economic Times

Mahindra is reportedly exploring the possibility of introducing GenZe electric 2-wheelers in India. A media report suggests that the electric scooters and e-bikes that are currently manufactured and sold in the US could be launched in India in the near future.

GenZe is a Mahindra group company which manufactures electric scooters and e-bikes in Detroit. The GenZe 2.0 electric scooter is built around an aluminium frame. It weighs 105 kg and a payload capacity of 134 kg. It is powered by a 1.6 kWh lithium-ion battery that gives it a range of up to 48 km per charge. GenZe claims that it will reach its top speed of 48 km/h in less than 10 sec. The scooter has three driving modes - sport, economy and easy and even features regenerative braking.

According to an earlier media report, Mahindra is also working on an electric scooter based on the Gusto scooter's platform. It is currently being developed at the company's 2-wheeler R&D facility in Pune.

Source: Economic Times

Mahindra is reportedly working on an all-electric scooter for the Indian market. It is likely to be based on the Gusto scooter's platform. 

According to a tweet by Anand Mahindra, the electric scooter is being developed at the company's 2-wheeler R&D facility in Pune and will be marketed by Mahindra Two Wheelers Ltd. The company could also be looking into electrification of existing models.

Mahindra is the only brand in India which currently has electric passenger and commercial vehicles in its portfolio. Additionally, it also owns American electric scooter maker - Genze. The company produces electric scooters and e-bikes at their Detroit facility.

Apart from Mahindra, there are some other manufacturers gearing up to introduce electric two-wheelers in India. We had earlier reported about Bajaj Auto's plans to enter the EV space with its proposed sub-brand called Urbanite. The company plans to launch electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers by 2020. Bengaluru-based Ather Energy is likely to introduce the S340 electric scooter sometime next year, while Pune-based Tork Motorcycles could also launch the T6X electric bike in 2018.

Additionally, Hero Electric has been selling e-bikes for quite some time now. Their current offerings includes scooters like the E-Sprint and Photon that have a top speed of 45-50 km/h and a maximum range of 70 km/charge.

Source: Autocar

Image used for illustration purpose only.

Bajaj is looking to enter the electric vehicle (EV) space by 2020. According to Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto, the company is working on a niche sub-brand dubbed, Urbanite. Electric two-wheelers and three-wheelers will be produced under the new brand. Bajaj added that these products will aim to do a Tesla in the electric two-wheeler segment.

Electric two-wheelers are not new to the Indian market, and the existing options include low cost e-bikes that lack performance. Hero already has a sub brand named Hero Electric that offers electric vehicles which includes electric scooters like E-Sprint and Photon. These scooters have a top speed of 45-50 km/h and a maximum range of 70 km/charge. 

Other companies who are also trying to make a mark in the two-wheeler EV space include Ather Energy and Tork motorcycles. While the Ather S340 and Tork T6X have gained popularity since the reveal, an official launch is expected next year. 

Source: Livemint

Bajaj Auto is rumoured to have started working on a new electric two-wheeler, which is expected to be launched in 2020. It is not yet clear whether this upcoming electric two-wheeler will be a motorcycle or a scooter.

Bajaj's electric two-wheeler project is said to be in its initial stages. Details about the price, powertrain setup and travel range of the vehicle aren't known yet. However, reports suggest that Bajaj might take help of its Austrian partner - KTM, for developing the two-wheeler. KTM has been selling its E-Ride range of bikes in Europe since 2012 and thus has the required experience and insights.

It is also being reported that Bajaj might introduce a completely new brand to launch its electric two-wheeler. If the company finds success in the segment, it is likely to expand its electric product line-up under this independent brand.

In India, the electric two-wheeler market is still in its initial stages. Bajaj's upcoming electric two-wheeler might stir the segment up and provide a push to other manufacturers to start developing products for this growing market.

Source: BikeWale

Okinawa Autotech has launched its first electric scooter in the Indian market. Called the Ridge, the scooter is priced at Rs. 43,702 (ex-showroom Delhi). Okinawa Autotech Pvt. Ltd is an e-automobile manufacturer with a manufacturing facility in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, and headquarters in Gurgaon.

The Okinawa Ridge is available in four colour options: red, green-gold, red-white and white. It gets telescopic suspension at the front, alloy wheels and tubeless tyres. Braking duties are handled by drum brakes at the front as well as rear. It has a company-claimed loading capacity of 150 kg. Features on offer with the Ridge electric scooter include anti-theft alarm, digital speedometer, EABS and two driving modes - Eco and Power.

The Ridge is powered by a 60V VRLA battery which generates a peak power of 800 watt. The company claims that the scooter can deliver a range of 80 km - 90 km on a single charge. The scooter takes 4-6 hours to charge, while there is an optional fast charge option as well that completes the charge in 1-2 hours.

Currently, Okinawa Autotech has 24 dealers in total, spread over 5 states: Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. The company is reportedly planning to expand this number to 450 dealerships in the next three years. The company has also announced an investment of Rs. 270-275 crore in India, over a period of three years. Additionally, two more Okinawa products will be launched in the country by the end of this year. The company has indicated that it will also be launching electric bikes in the near future.