The Hindu Business Line : Hero to launch high-speed e-bikes

Ahmedabad, Aug. 16 The Hero Group would be launching high-speed battery-run two-wheelers as also three-wheelers in a few months, but has no plans, as of now, to introduce electric four-wheelers.

“We are working on and testing the battery-run three-wheelers for a launch. We would also be launching battery-run e-bikes with speeds between 40 - 50 km per hour in the next six months,” said Mr Naveen Munjal, Chief Executive Officer, Hero Exports, and Mr Ganesh Mahalingam, Managing Director, Ultra Motor India Pvt Ltd.

Although China, from where the Hero Group is importing batteries, happens to be the biggest market with 20 million e-bikes sold annually, the company is focusing only on domestic market with one lakh units. However, Hero is looking at Russia to begin its exports, they said here after inaugurating a company show-room.

The world’s largest bicycle-maker Hero, which introduced battery-run two-wheelers in seven models in the price range of Rs 15,000 and Rs 28,000 recently, would by March 2008 have 120 show-rooms in the country. It is projecting revenue of Rs 120-150 crore this fiscal from sale of e-bikes, including a 15 per cent share from Gujarat.

The company, whose manufacturing capacity at its Ludhiana plant is 300 e-bikes per day, has invested $6 million on research and development in technical collaboration with Ultra Motor Company (UMC), a UK-based electric vehicle (EV) solutions provider. The e-bikes and e-scooters run at one-tenth of the running cost of conventional petrol-driven two-wheelers with a one-third maintenance cost.

A single charge can last between 40 km and 70 km and the price of running is just 10 paisa per km, which is the cost of charging the battery, Mr Munjal added.

More Stories on : Outlook | Two/Three Wheelers | Environment

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Glochem to sell drugs in US

Dewan Housing allots shares to Caledonia, Wadhawan Holdings

‘Labour imbalance bane of India’s garment productivity’

Paradip project: IOC may start tendering process soon

TCF-NADI setting up 2nd unit in Chennai

Polls may delay GSPC’s choice of partner

SAIL, Posco ink pact to share marketing network

DSCL completes land deal with DLF subsidiary

Mitsubishi Motors, HM ties to undergo significant change

Adani Wilmar ties up with Gulf retail chain

Malabar Cement goes live on SAP ERP

Hero to launch high-speed e-bikes

ONGC may raise crude output