Electric Mobility
With the buzz continuing to grow around two-wheelers propelled by electricity, we take a look at some of the exciting brands and models coming into the Indian EV fold, along with the tech and solutions that are slated to arrive on our shores as well
A definitive guide to all the EV brands and models cropping up in India
22Motors KYMCO iFlow:
Global EV giants KYMCO have tied up with the Indian brand, 22Motors, to bring in cobranded EV scooters to India, starting with the iFlow. Incidentally, the brand has filed a worldwide patent for hill-hold assist technology on these scooters.
AMW-CFmoto:
The latest entrant in the internal-combustion space, CFMoto came in strong with a bevy of models at different price points. One of those was the 300NK naked street bike. Word on the street is that they will also bring in an electric bike built around this very bike’s frame, and sporting similar aesthetics as well.
Ather Energy:
An already established player in Bengaluru and more recently in Chennai, Ather have the 450 available in both cities and have been working hard to establish an Ather Grid fast charge network in whichever cities they enter.
Bajaj Auto Urbanite:
With test mules spied testing up and down the country, this highly anticipated scoot that looks like a modern interpretation of the well-loved Chetak but sporting an electric heart is expected to be unveiled and launched soon. This will be the first product under Bajaj’s Urbanite sub-brand.
Emflux One:
Slated as India’s first electric superbike, the flagship from Bengaluru-based Emflux Motors is still under development. No word yet on when the production variant will be made available, but with claimed performance figures such as a 0-100 km/h time of three seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h there is a lot of anticipation for this bike to hit the streets.
Hero Electric Duet E:
Hero MotoCorp are one of the oldest and biggest bike manufacturers in India and, according to reports, soon they are going to launch an electrified version of their popular Duet scooter, first shown as a concept at the 2016 Auto Expo.
Harley-Davidson LiveWire:
The first of the big global manufacturers to go down the EV route and start producing and selling a battery-powered bike and, boy, is it a powerful one! We’ve ridden it already (review in our August issue) and taking this step is huge statement by the American cruiser makers.
Okinawa Scooters:
The first brand operating in India to nab those tasty FAME II benefits, Okinawa have a couple of offerings that are flying off their shelves. Expect them to keep moving onwards and upwards in the Indian market as well. We’ve ridden the Praise, too, and the review is up on our website if you wish to see what we think of it.
Pure EV EPluto:
Born from an IIT-Hyderabad incubation centre, this fledgling start-up has managed to acquire that sweet, sweet funding money and has a retro-styled scoot on offer, called the EPluto, along with three other models here in India.
Tork T6X:
Another name that has been around for a while is Tork Motors. Their maiden product, the T6X, is billed as India’s first performance EV and looks promising on paper. The bike has been slated for a 2019 launch; so we should get to see it on the streets sooner rather than later.
Revolt RV400:
Another EV brand that’s creating all the buzz is Revolt Intellicorp, founded by Rahul Sharma, one of the main men behind smartphone makers Micromax. And you know they mean business because they used words like “innovation” and “disruption” at a recent media briefing. We have ridden their first offering, the RV 400 already, and you can catch our first ride review in this very issue.
TVS Creon:
A zany-looking concept showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo, the Creon is TVS’ vision of what a performance-minded electric scoot could look like. They haven’t announced production plans yet; however, judging by the spate of EVs making their way to the market, it wouldn’t surprise us if TVS took the plunge as well.