Auto Expo 2020 A look at what was new at India’s biggest exposition in the automotive world
The Auto Expo is the biggest mobility platform in the country. Here are the highlights from this year’s show
Hero Electric Motorcycle
The AE-47 could be Hero Electric’s first all-electric motorcycle when it reaches production form. It is powered by a 4.0-kW (5.4 hp) motor that gets up to a top speed of 85 km/h. A 48V/3.5-kWh lithium-ion battery supplies the juice for everything on board. It has a charging time of four hours and Hero Electric claim that it returns up to 85 km per charge in Power mode and 160 km in Eco mode. They also announced that the motorcycle is capable of dismissing 0-60 km/h in nine seconds. Disc brakes at either end handle the braking department. The motorcycle also offers cruise control, digital instrument cluster, mobile charger, and even a mobile app.
Hero Electric Scooters
The AE-29 is the brand’s latest launch in the high-speed scooter space. It is propelled by a 1.0-kW (1.4 hp) motor that draws power from a 48 V/3.5-kWh battery. Claimed top speed and charging time are 55 km/h and four hours respectively. It also promises a range of 80 km per charge. That’s not so bad.
The other high-speed scooter on display was the AE-75. This scooter has a claimed top speed of 45 km/h and a range of 80 km per charge. In the low-speed segment, Hero Electric showcased the AE-8, a product with a 25-km/h top speed and range of 80 km per charge.
Hero Electric Trike
The AE-3 is an all-electric trike that is primarily designed for B2B use. It features self-standing gyroscopic stability and promises a range of 100 km per charge. Full charge is achieved within five hours. The 5.5-kW (7.5 hp) motor draws power from a 48-V/4.0-kWh lithium battery and sprints to a claimed 80-km/h top speed. Features include a digital instrument cluster, mobile charger, walk assist, reverse assist, mobile app, GPS, GPRS, realtime tracking, and geo-fencing.
Evolet
Gurugram-based EV manufacturer, Evolet, took the wraps off multiple offerings in the electric segment. Their portfolio included all-electric twowheelers and commercial vehicles as well. We were, of course, most interested in the two-wheelers.
The biggest attention-grabbers at the stall were the Hawk motorcycle and the Warrior ATV, interesting additions to the EV space. Also on display were the Polo, Pony, and Derby electric scooters and Dhanno, a moped.
The company also announced that it was planning to introduce a “selfbalancing” feature in its electric scooters. With the addition of this feature, the company claims, the riders will be able to keep their feet on the footboard during stops. That would be an interesting thing to see. A voiceactivated parking assist is also in the pipeline.
Evolet Hawk
This fully-faired electric motorcycle certainly looks the part of a sport bike with its sleek design. Suspension duties are managed by a telescopic fork at the front and a monoshock unit at the rear. Dropping anchor is taken care of by twin discs at the front and a single rotor at the rear. The Hawk has a claimed top speed of 120 km/h and a range of 150 km per charge. Evolet say that the battery can be charged to full capacity within three to four hours. Power comes from a 3.0-kW (4.1 hp) motor backed up by a 72-V/40-Ah lithium-ion battery. When will you see it in the market? Evolet say that it will be available by June 2020.
Evolet Raptor
The Raptor is an electric scooter built for long-distance commuting. Sporting a futuristic design and premium parts, this scooter will be made available in June 2020. Powered by a 3.0-kW (4.1 hp) Brushless motor, the scooter gets its power from a 72-V/40-Ah lithium-ion battery. Range is a claimed 100-250 km with a top speed of 120 km/h. Charging takes between three and four hours. The Raptor will be sold in white or black and will come equipped with a host of features such as mobile charging ports, USB ports, and more.
Evolet Warrior
For the off-road-friendly ones, we have the Warrior. This is an electric ATV and the first of its kind in the country. Available with a host of accessories, this is a 50-km-per-charge ATV with a top speed of 60 km/h.
Evolet Dhanno
The Dhanno is an e-moped that is aimed at the rural populace of the country. The 72-V/26-Ah lithium-ion battery powers a Brushless motor that makes 2.0 kW (2.7 hp), taking you to a distance of about 80 km. Customers may carry loads of up to 450 kg on this moped.
Everve Motors
Everve Motors entered the electric vehicle market with the introduction of their maiden luxury e-scooter at Auto Expo.
The prototype of the unconventional looking e-scooter is said to come with a premium battery with a lifespan of three to five years. The prototype is said to go by the name “EF-1”.
The EF-1 claims to have a top speed of 90 km/h and give the rider a speed range of 110 km/hr. It offers a 3.3-kW (4.5-hp) or 5.0-kW (6.8-hp) motor. It has a dual battery set-up, each weighing 12 kg, and a lifespan of up to five years. The e-scooter can charge in five hours and can also fastcharge from 0 to 50 per cent in an hour and a half. It comes with ABS and is slated for launch by the end of 2020.
The Pune-based company is headed by Srinivas Reddy. Reddy, ably assisted by a team of 22 skilled people, made this happen in three months. He said it had been his dream to create a product like this, especially at a time like this when we may be heading into a serious climate change. Like the Ather, the Everve electric scooter will feature Over the Air (OTA) updates.
Okinawa
Okinawa unveiled the Cruiser prototype, an electric scooter featuring a detachable 4.0-kWh lithium-ion battery that takes about two to three hours using a fast-charger to charge completely. The claimed range is over 120 km on a single charge. The electric motor has a rated power of 3.0 kW (4.1 hp) and is equipped with walking assistance, 15-degree hill-climb ability, and even cruise control. The talking point remains its maxi-scooter type styling, a claimed top speed of 100 km/h; which is more than the peppy Ather 450X.
The e-scooter comes with plenty of features, including 14-inch alloy wheels, digital LCD instrument console, central lock with anti-theft alarm, keyless start, find-my-scooter function, and USB port for mobile phone charging. The Okinawa Cruiser is expected to be more expensive than the existing e-scooters from the brand and would be closer to the price of the Ather 450X and Bajaj Chetak, both of which retail at around Rs 1 lakh (ex-showroom). Additionally, the company also showcased its other models such as the LITE, PraisePro, and Ridge+.
EeVe India
The Odisha-based start-up made its presence felt by showcasing two electric two-wheelers at the Auto Expo 2020. The first model was the Forseti, a retro-styled electric scooter, and the Tesero, an electric motorcycle. Both of them come equipped with Bosch-sourced hub-mounted motors and offer the convenience of two packs of swappable batteries.
According to EeVe India, these electric two-wheelers can be charged between three and four hours with the help of a fast-charger. The Forseti e-scooter has a claimed range of 100 km and a top speed of about 70 km/h, while the Tesero e-bike claims to have a range of 120 km on a single charge and a top speed of 90-100 km/h.
The company executives said that the Forseti would be launched around July this year, followed by the Tesero around September. Both the models are expected to be priced below Rs 1 lakh and will come with a five-year product warranty and three-year unlimited warranty on the battery.
Piaggio Unveil Aprilia SXR; Vespa Elettrica
Be ready to greet another maxi-scooter, for Aprilia have unveiled the SXR range. The company hopes to create a new trend of the cross max design for the modern Indian consumer.
The Aprilia SXR will be available in two versions: 125 and 160. Both the versions are identical and promise to bring a lot of styling, riding comfort and great ergonomics to life. The unique scooter has been designed in Italy with an aerodynamic design and said to be manufactured at Piaggio’s Baramati factory.
The SXR 160 comes will borrow the powertrain from the SR 160, which is a 160-cc BS-VI single, while the smaller version will come with a 125-cc BS-VI engine. The company has not divulged the power figures yet, but we expect them to be close to the SR 160’s, which makes 11 hp.
The scooter comes with twin LED headlight and taillamp, daytime eyeliner position lamps, and an eyecatching chrome exhaust. Both the SXR 125 and 160 get smaller 12-inch wheels instead of the 14-inch ones seen on the SR 160.
The features include a large digital cluster with a mileage indicator and smartphone connectivity, a decent-sized under-seat storage with inbuilt light, a USB port in the glove box, ABS, and a disc brake. The SXR will come in four colours — red, blue, white, and black — and have tons of accessories for its customers.
The SXR 125 will compete directly with Suzuki Burgman Street, while the SXR 160 hopes to create a new segment altogether. The new Aprilia scooters will go on sale in September this year and are expected to be priced above the SR 160, which retails at Rs 1.04 lakh (ex-showroom).
On the electric front, Piaggio showcased the Vespa Elettrica, which indicates the company’s approach towards electric mobility solutions. The company is working on a made-for-India e-scooter which will be based on the Elettrica, but is being designed in India keeping in mind the needs of our country. The electric Vespa is available in some European markets and looks very similar to its petrol-powered siblings. It comes with a 4.3-kWh lithium-ion battery which powers a DC motor with 3.6 kW (4.9 hp) continuous power and capable of 4.0 kW (5.4 hp) peak power. It promises a range of about 100 km and a top speed of 70 km/h in Eco.
Apart from these, the Piaggio stand had more eyecandy in the shape of the Moto Guzzi V85 TT, RSV4 1100 Factory limited-edition along with the Vespa Racing Sixties, Vespa 2020 facelifts, the Aprilia SR 160, and Storm 125 with disc brakes.
Ralson Eco-friendly Tyres
At the Auto Expo 2020, Ralson India introduced the Ralco Ecoracer 120/80-18 motorcycle tyre, an environment-friendly tyre as it uses a high content of silica, a natural product, to reduce the use of pollution-causing petroleum-based chemicals. The silica-based compound helps reduce CO2 emission and enhances the motorcycle’s performance and efficiency because of lower rolling resistance of the tyre. Also interesting is the tyre tread design which aims to strike the right balance among fuel efficiency, safety, and durability.
JK Tyre Launch Smart Tyre Technology
Another interesting launch at the Auto Expo 2020 was of the JK Tyre Smart Tyre range. This unique cloud-based monitoring system uses sensors integrated with a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and keeps the vehicle owner informed about the tyre temperature and air pressure. Users can keep a tab on the tyre condition through the newly launched TREEL Care app or by logging in to the company’s official website. The information collected by this smart monitoring system is relayed on a real-time basis to the vehicle owner’s smartphone via Bluetooth on to a mobile application.
JK Tyre claim that the Smart Tyre tech allows for early detection of issues and deployment of timely preventive measures to avoid them and also helps deliver higher fuel efficiency, up to five per cent, leading to reduction in carbon emission. In addition, through this technology, the tyre life gets enhanced, thereby minimizing operational expenses.
The Smart Tyre technology is compatible with cars, bikes, trucks, and buses. There are two variants of this tech available for bikes: Smart Tyre Sensor Bike Kit: Belt and MTrac Smart Sensor Bike Kit: Belt.