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Electric bikes are going beyond the concept stage and are all set to hit Indian roads this year. But what sets apart new electric bike startup, Menza, is their focus on creating an entire EV ecosystem rather than just selling a bike. Ahmedabad-based Menza Motors unveiled the Menza Lucat, a fully-custom electric bike at the Auto Expo on Thursday. But before launching it in different cities, it is setting up charging infrastructure to make the bikes more practical for regular use.
The EV company has set up several charging stations along the Delhi-Agra highway and plans to electrify nine other national highways as well. The bike offers a range of 100 km in city conditions and 150 km on the highway. The bike will also be able to charge using any wall socket. "Our next target is to electrify the Guwahati-Shillong highway. But we'll also have an average of two chargers per 10 sq km in every city where we launch our bikes,” 24-year old Rahul Gonsalves, Menza Motors CEO, told BusinessLine . “
The bike will cost anywhere between Rs 2.80 lakh and 3.35 lakh based on the customisation options chosen. The company also offers the option of buying the bike without the battery and leasing it instead. In that case, the bike will cost Rs 1.77 lakh, along with a Rs 3,800 rental charge for the battery. “Lucat is the first factory-customised motorcycle, which has been built in line with the rider's requirements and riding style. We have 112 customisation options for our customers,” Gonsalves said.
The current version of the bike has a top speed of 121 kmph, but with a special track package that can be enabled through a software upgrade which lasts 24 hours, the bike can go beyond 130-140 kmph. Menza is also offering the option of a lighter and faster track-only bike.
Menza plans to launch three more models in the next one year. However, deliveries for its first bike, Lucat, will begin in August this year. Bookings will start next week. "We plan to set up an entire ecosystem for electric motorcycles within the country, which would include the product and the easy availability of charging stations, along with creating a community of Menza motorcycle riders in the near future," Gonsalves said.
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