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GoZero Mobility, a UK-based company that has its India headquarters in Kolkata, is planning to launch electric bicycles or e-bikes in the country. The first rollout is expected in Delhi by the end of this month, with pan-India rollout scheduled within the year.
Electric bicycles are ones that come integrated with an electric motor and use rechargeable batteries.
Globally, GoZero is at a start-up stage and is planning to launch e-bikes in London. Pre-launch marketing activities have also been carried out there.
India plans
According to Ankit Kumar, Founder and Director, GoZero Mobility, the company test marketed the e-bikes in Mumbai last year and received encouraging feedback. Based on it, two India-specific variants priced at ₹29,999 and ₹32,999 were readied. The bikes are designed in Birmingham in the UK.
“Pre-launch activities were carried out in certain parts of Mumbai. We already have over 100 pre-orders. Delivery of these pre-ordered vehicles is expected next week and our India launch later this month,” he told BusinessLine.
“The two variants that are to be launched here are designed specifically targeting the mass markets of South Asia,” Kumar added.
In India, GoZero Mobility has a partnership with Kirti Solar Ltd. The latter also has a stake in GoZero’s India business.
The target will primarily be those using premium bicycles, which come in the price range of ₹25,000 and ₹5,00,000. Some secondhand scooter and motor bike users could also be looked at, market sources said.
Manufacturing
According to Kumar, approximately, $250,000 has been committed by the Indian partner that will be spent mostly on setting up a manufacturing facility, on marketing and to ramp up the distribution channels.
GoZero’s manufacturing and assembling facility has come up at Bantala in Kolkata with an annual capacity of 20,000 units. The company can look at a second unit over the next two-to-three years for catering to the South and West Indian markets.
Plans are afoot to get a pan-India distributor-dealer network ready. Some 10-15 distributors and over 1,000 dealers are expected to be appointed over the next five years. This apart, around 18 experience centres, where customers can walk in to test the product, are also being planned.
“We can look at a second unit in two or three years, but not immediately. However, such plans will depend on the demand,” he said.
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