Electric-bikes gain traction in Tirupati

Tirupati: Electric vehicles, which have remained a buzzword, are slowly gaining popularity in the temple city of Tirupati. With gradual focus on the larger segment, many companies are simultaneously focusing on the other end of the spectrum that is with smaller segment which comprises of families, small time retailers, youth etc., Already e-cars have hit the roads in big cities and more and more companies have been planning to enter that segment as they see future in that. APSRTC was also contemplating with the idea of introducing e-buses.

They have made a trial run with an e-bus made by Goldstone Company in March this year and last month another trial run with Ashok Leyland e-bus was completed. Also, electric auto rickshaws are being used by Municipal Corporation of Tirupati for collection of door-to-door waste. The major advantage of e-vehicles is that they are pollution free and runs without noise.

They also proved to be economical and have very less maintenance cost too. To capture the market of electric two-wheelers, dealers are setting up outlets even at smaller cities and towns. In Tirupati, one such outlet was established in the recent past and sold about 300 vehicles till now. With its elegant look and light weight compared to normal vehicles, customers are showing interest to purchase them.

A retail shop owner at Renigunta Road, M Suresh, who bought the e-bike four months ago, was a satisfied customer with only one complaint. He told The Hans India, that the battery in the vehicle needs to be improved by introducing lithium-ion battery, which will have fast charging. Except this, everything is good about the vehicle, he opined. The proprietor of Sri Venkateswara e-bikes, VVS Pradeep, who sells e-bikes in Tirupati, has said that people started enquiring about these vehicles and even coming to buy them.

The maximum speed, full battery charging time etc., varies from one company to another. Presently, they have been selling three company bikes – ‘Hero Electric’, ‘Okinawa Scooters’ and ‘Ampere’ vehicles. On an average, for a two-hour charge, the vehicles run up to 80 kms and normal 3-pin socket at homes is sufficient for charging the battery.

For less speed vehicles, central government has been giving subsidy of Rs 7,500 to Rs 22,000 depending on the battery and speed, which will be stopped soon. In view of this, companies have been shifting to produce high speed vehicles now, he said.

Presently, the maximum speed varies between 35 kmph to 70 kmph depending on the model and company. The showroom price of e-bike will be around Rs 42,000 to Rs 84,000. “Unlike petrol vehicles, e-bikes are cost effective and vehicle runs up to 130 km for Rs 12. Another advantage is that battery can be easily taken away with us into home and get it charged,” he maintained. The vehicles will have good pick up and can go to hilly areas and long distance without any difficulty.

The Road Transport Officer (RTO) G Vivekananda Reddy said that any e-vehicle having a maximum speed of 25 kmph and 250 watts power should get registered as per the norms. If they are below 25 kmph speed, no registration is required. He opined that by encouraging e-vehicles on a large-scale, relying on petroleum products may come down.

Already, two-wheeler major Hero MotoCorp had tied up with Bengaluru based electric vehicle start-up Ather Energy and their first vehicle may come on to the roads soon. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has asked Chairman of Hero MotoCorp Pawan Munjal during the ground-breaking ceremony of the company, to focus on producing electric vehicles at the earliest for which the later has responded positively. Soon, they may be followed by other major two-wheeler manufacturers, which will make more e-vehicles to hit the roads in the coming years.