With petrol prices skyrocketing, even the most fuel-efficient petrol two-wheeler is getting more expensive to run every day. This is making several automotive buyers look at electric alternatives in the hope of better overall value.?
ALSO READ:?India Plans 1200 Km E-Highway On Delhi-Mumbai Expressway For Electric Vehicles
And now, a startup incubated by IIT Delhi has revealed an electric scooter that claims to be the most affordable one in the Indian market, with a running cost of just 20 paise per kilometre.?
Reported first by India Science Wire, the company dubbed Geliose Mobility calls this two-wheeler ‘Hope’, and it aims to offer this to individuals for last-minute delivery or personal commute.?
The electric scooter also is equipped with a pedal system (similar to TVS Luna from back in the day) that a rider can use to commute if the battery dies out. The rear section offers a modular tray that can be switched depending on the kind of goods it’s carrying. You can also add an additional seat on the back if you like.?
The scooter has a light sub-frame that makes it perfect to manoeuvre through dense traffic routes. The frame also houses a removable battery unit right below the rider’s seat which can be detached and charged indoors as opposed to several other electric bike manufacturers that offer the ability to charge it outdoors. The Hope electric scooter charges 80 percent in around three hours. Buyers will get the option of picking between 50-kilometre and 75-kilometre range batteries.
Hope can touch speeds of up to 25 kilometres per hour which fits it in the exemption category and thus doesn’t require the rider to have a driver’s license or registration for driving it on the road.?
The electric scooter is IoT enabled and offers data analytics for fleet management apps, so in case you’re someone who has multiple Hope bikes, you can track their movement and status in real-time.?
It also plans to set up hubs for charging and maintenance, as well as offer services like roadside assistance as well as roadside battery swapping.?
Aditya Tiwari, Founder & CEO, Geliose Mobility said, “We are going through an era of ever-rising pollution and climate change, and there is a need for sustainable actions in all the industries, especially in automotive. With the vision of creating a sustainable mobility ecosystem, we started Geliose Mobility three years ago, and HOPE is our major step in this endeavour.”
He added, “With a price starting at just Rs. 46,999, HOPE is the most affordable internet-connected scooter currently in the market to my knowledge. Customers can avail Hope through subscription or can buy directly. Bookings are open now for Delhi-NCR and will be available in other cities in the latter half of the year. We are currently launching the scooter for last-mile delivery applications, and in the upcoming months, bookings for personal commute application will open, added Tiwari.”