World Environment Day: Your Cost Effective Options to take the Eco-Mobility route

Globally, the automotive industry is switching to less energy-intensive options of mobility to reduce the environmental impact following various Countries’ increased commitment to reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at the 26th Conference of Parties meeting (CoP 26) in the United Nations.

While the EVs segment is still at a nascent stage, India’s EV market is evolving rapidly. Adoption has seen a significant uptick. Aspiring buyers are looking for EVs to minimize their carbon footprint. Further, to circumvent the impact of increasing oil import bills, Indian government’s policy initiatives over the last couple of years has accelerated the adoption of e-mobility, resulting in total sales of approx. 80,000 vehicles so far. Centre and respective State Governments’ programmes have witnessed Karnataka selling the highest number of electric vehicles (EVs) at 17438 followed by Tamil Nadu having sold 11902 EVs, then Maharashtra with sale of 8814 EVs, Uttar Pradesh at 5670 and Delhi seen 5632 vehicles on roads till last year, according to estimates*.

The purchase of Electric Vehicles (EVs) is well incentivized with the rollout of various subsidies to both manufacturers and buyers. The Department of Heavy Industries, in its updated ‘Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles (FAME-II) scheme’ has extended the provisions for 2 years applicable till 31st March 2024, to enhance adoption, and boost the EV charging infrastructure set up. Second phase of the FAME scheme aims to support 55000 e-4 Wheeler Passenger Cars, and 10 lakh e-2 Wheelers apart from other EVs.

Further, the most recent Government of India’s (GOI) ambitious INR 26,058 crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Auto, wherein the goal is to bolster India’s manufacturing capabilities. We look at a few options available to potential buyers who wish to adopt eco-friendly mobility:

Tadpole Projects

Tadpole Projects, a startup electric-mobility company incubated at Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) for Cobotics, of IIT Delhi – the only home grown company retrofitting ICE to EVs. Launched in August 2020, Tadpole Projects is the pioneer in retrofitting ICE cars and aims to address issues around fossil-fuel-based vehicles, scrapping policy, and expensive vehicles by retrofitting, thus making renewable mobility accessible to everyone.

Tadpole recently converted its first premium car, C-180, C-Class of arguably the most sophisticated car manufacturer – Mercedes Benz. The revamped EV was a petrol variant car manufactured in 2003 and now comes equipped with new-age mobility features such as GPS, Geo-fencing, and remote performance assessment. It also offers a warranty of 3 years on batteries and 2 years on the EV kit. Although the car supports AC charging as of now, there is also a provision of DC charging if the requirement arises. It takes 5-6 hours to charge, depending on the power of the batteries. The car can now run at a maximum speed of up to 90 kmph and cover a range of 150 kms on one charge. The speed and range of the EV can be pushed further to beyond 150 kmph and 250 kms, respectively, as per the clients’ need.

MG ZS EV

MG Motor India brought to the country its second car, MG ZS EV, based on the popular global platform from its home country, UK. In its new avatar, the ZS EV comes with the largest in-segment 50.3 kWh battery, offers an updated range of 461 km in a single charge, and continues to attract customers in India. ZS EV’s success in the market marks the beginning of a truly collaborative ecosystem building approach to electric vehicles in India.

MG Motor India brought to the country its second car, MG ZS EV, based on the popular global platform from its home country, UK. In its new avatar, the ZS EV comes with the largest in-segment 50.3 kWh battery, offers an updated range of 461 km in a single charge, and continues to attract customers in India. ZS EV’s success in the market marks the beginning of a truly collaborative ecosystem building approach to electric vehicles in India.

HOP Electric Mobility

HOP Electric Mobility is an integrated electric 2-wheeler mobility company with a Comprehensive Eco-system Approach. HOP Electric is a successful mandate holder of the Government of India’s (GOI) ambitious Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for Auto.

HOP Electric has two unique two-wheelers – HOP LEO and HOP LYF, which have garnered immense consumer traction. It is now gearing up to launch a high-speed electric bike named HOP OXO. As OXO goes through an extensive testing cycle across geographies, it is expected to be a very robust product.

All HOP Electric scooters promise a comfortable riding experience for every user. With features like an LED console, dual disc brakes, USB charger, swappable smart battery, GPS, anti-theft system, and remote-key facilities, these products are exceptionally economical, especially in today’s era when conventional fuel prices are skyrocketing. As opposed, a fully charged HOP LEO and HOP LYF can cover a distance between 70 km to 125 km. Similarly, on a single charge, the upcoming HOP OXO and high-speed electric scooter, a generation upgrade of LYF (internally named LYF2.0) are expected to cover over 150km and 120 km, respectively.

Trouve Motor

Trouve Motor is a manufacturer of high-speed electric motorcycles and sports cars, bringing in Block-chain integrated structure with its own metaverse ecosystem. Trouve will roll out an advanced hyper-sports bike, which is designed to reach a speed of over 200 km/hr and also a range of around 350-500 km.

Following the glimpse of its hyper-sports bike recently, Trouve Motor is now up with its first Hyper Maxi Scooter, H2. The futuristic scooter is completely designed in India at Trouve’s R&D facility in Bangalore.

The e-scooter comes equipped with attractive features, including a liquid-cooled motor, single-speed transmission, upside-down fork, mono-shock rear, and LED headlights. It has 2-piston callipers for a better initial bite and brake feel. With a continuous power of 4.8 kW and peak power of 7.9 kW, the scooter can reach from 0 to 60 in 4.3 seconds and cover a range of 130-230 km. It also supports 4G connectivity and has Google built-in to offer advanced internet-backed features to riders.

Ather Energy

Ather Energy is India’s foremost electric two-wheeler brand, founded in 2013 by IIT Madras alumni, Tarun Mehta, and Swapnil Jain. In 2018, Ather Energy launched India’s first intelligent, electric scooter – Ather 450, followed by their new flagship offering Ather 450X in 2020.

Engineered ground-up with a singular focus on performance, the Ather 450X is a sheer joy to ride. Ather 450X can go upto 116 km and picks a top speed of 80 km/h. The scooter has a 2.61kWh battery. This scooter can be 80% charged in 3 hrs 35 minutes. Features include a 17.78 cm (7″) LCD display for everything you need to see on your ride – from navigation to incoming calls to nearest charging points.