The Hindu Business Line : Electrotherm launches new battery-run two-wheeler

Ahmedabad, Sept. 11 Electrotherm (India) Ltd, one of the pioneers in battery-run electric two-wheelers in the country, has introduced a new model here, YoSpeed, the country’s first vehicle in the 750-watt category approved by the Automotive Regulatory Authority of India (ARAI).

Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover launched the new scooter at a function here. The TV commercial of the product, in which he also features, has been filmed by Mr Sanjay Gadhvi, director of the blockbuster film Dhoom-2, he said.

This ‘No Petrol Scooter’, with 33AH battery and 750 watts motor, can carry two persons and run for 500 km at the cost of one litre of petrol (Rs 50), Mr Shailesh Bhandari, Managing Director, told reporters here.

YoSpeed, whose ex-showroom price in Ahmedabad is Rs 35,466, and which will have a maximum speed of 45 km per hour for a single rider, would be made available across India through the company’s 200 exclusive showrooms, Mr Avinash Bhandari, Director, said.

YoSpeed will compete with the regular petrol-run two-wheelers in the 75-100 cc segment and its owner will be required to obtain a registration and licence from the RTO.

Eighty-five per cent of equipment used in YoSpeed is indigenous and its battery weighs 41 kg, chargeable in six to eight hours with a power consumption of 1.6 units. With a single charge, it can carry one person to a distance of 80 km and two persons to 65 km, they added.

Indus Elec-Trans, a division of Electrotherm, had launched the battery-run two-wheelers last year under the brand-name Yobykes, manufactured at its Kutch-based plant having an installed capacity of 2.88 lakh vehicles per annum.