Just plug and ply
The Hindu :
Gee whiz is the only way I can describe my first experience of riding an electric two-wheeler. Plonk yourself on the seat, turn the key, twist the accelerator and you have silence in motion. There is just the noise of the wind rustling past your ears
and tyres gripping the road.
A first experience of an electric vehicle is definitely an exhilarating one. And more like me might soon be tempted to try that first test ride soon. With the consciousness for eco-friendly and wallet-friendly alternatives for the daily commute on the rise, electric two wheelers are expected to be big players. The world’s biggest maker and market for electric two wheelers is China, but the second is tipped to be India. There has been a frenzied attempt at launching new brands and the effect of that can be seen in new showrooms popping up everywhere.
The promise of electric two wheelers is great. In addition to zero direct emissions, they offer economy as low as 10 paise a kilometre. But their broad acceptance is going to hinge on answers to a lot of lingering doubts.
One of the earliest attempts at an electric two wheeler in India was by Anil Ananthakrishna when he launched his model Vidyut in 1983. He now laughs that his concept was then “way ahead of its time” but today he heads one the big players in the industry, Eko Vehicles.
The company started its operations in Bangalore in 2004 with its model Cosmic. “When we launched there was no electric two wheeler in India. Our vehicles were first established as a concept, certified by ARAI and sold,” he recalls.
There was soon a flurry of activity, rival manufacturers sprang up and even traders imported cheap Chinese made bikes. Inevitable consolidation in the industry happened, with the importers losing buyers because they were unable to provide service infrastructure. Today the key players in…More
