TVS Motor Company has ventured into the electric two-wheeler space of the Indian market with the launch of the TVS iQube Electric. The electric scooter was launched in the Indian market at an on-road (Bengaluru) price tag of INR 1.15 lakh. The company now plans to develop a portfolio of electric products.
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Speaking to The Economic Times, Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director, TVS Motor Company, said: that the expansion will be made in a phased manner, and the company would have a portfolio of electric vehicles in the coming years. Regular readers would know that the company had showcased the Creon electric scooter in concept form at Auto Expo 2018. It is safe to assume that the Creon concept-based electric scooter will be part of the aforementioned portfolio.
Venu further added that the charging infrastructure is among various hurdles in the way. He said:
You have to get somebody to install the chargers at home … hopefully, Bescom (the power distributor in Bengaluru) will come up with some charging infrastructure that everyone will use… We will have to gear up our dealerships for service, the mechanics need to be trained; so, when we go in, we want to go the whole hog and delight customers.
The arrival of the new electric vehicles will also depend on several factors such as affordability, range and the return on investment. While the details about the unannounced TVS electric two-wheelers from TVS Motor Company is limited, let us give you a quick recap of the TVS iQube Electric and its rivals. The TVS iQube Electric will rival the likes of Chetak electric from Bajaj Auto and Ather 450 from Ather Energy. Thus, the pricing of the iQube electric scooter is in the same range as its rivals.
The TVS iQube Electric has a relatively subtle styling compared to the TVS Creon concept. Full LED lighting and SmartXonnect Bluetooth connectivity system are two of its main features. Its electric motor makes 4.4 kW of power and 140 Nm of torque. The motor's energy source is a 4.5 kWh Lithium-ion battery that promises a range of 75 km. A 0-40 km/h acceleration takes 4.2 seconds, while the top speed stands at 78 km/h.
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The TVS iQube Electric will be offered in Bengaluru in the initial phase and then in 3-4 more cities through the next fiscal. The company may also consider exporting the iQube Electric. The current production capacity stands at 1,000 units a month.
[Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com]
