The changemaker

The all-new Ridge e-scooter is equipped with a fast charging system, and promises a stable ride in rough terrain

The general perception about Electric Vehicles (EV) is that they will come in future to change the way we commute. The fact that these vehicles are eco-friendly has a lot working in their favour. All thanks to Tesla that future doesn’t seem so distant now. In the U.S., Tesla is finding hard to meet the bookings order and is trying to fasten its production line.

However in India, electric vehicles still aren’t the order of the day. Launch of Okinawa electric scooters recently was a step ahead even though the tendency is that we still shrug it off here taking EVs as too futuristic. The near absence of buzz in the media for electric vehicles in general and electric scooters in particular is suggestive of our lagged pace in this direction.

Okinawa Autotech Private Limited with the launch of its Ridge scooter at a price of Rs. 43,702 is trying to make its mark. The Okinawa company started its operations in 2015 and this is its first product on offer. “Being an Indian company, our vision is to be a leading electric two-wheeler manufacturer by offering a solution to the daily commuting needs of the consumer,” said Jeetender Sharma, spokesperson of the Okinawa brand.

Fast charging

The scooter can speed up to 55km/hr with normal charging to take four-six hours. There is a fast charging system available as well which promises to charge your vehicle within one to two hours. Once fully charged, the vehicle has a range of 80-90 km. The Ridge is powered by 800 watt and has a loading capacity of 150 kg. There are unique utility features like anti-theft alarm, digital speedometer, central locking smart controller, and eco and power mode of operations. The alloy wheels, tubeless tyres and telescopic suspension are to aid the riding in rough terrains.

“Our mission is to alter the belief that e-automobiles can’t match the power, speed, and efficiency of traditional petrol vehicles. We have prepared a detailed State-wise expansion plan and will be following up the Ridge scooter with other scooters which will have unique features such as accident detection, app-enabled vehicle maintenance. ” said Sharma.

Lagging behind

While the world is moving ahead at a fast pace there are changes in mobility that are being worked upon with many revolutions in the time to come. Using hydrogen gas as fuel, automated cars, vehicle connectivity and interactive safety systems are some of the technological innovations which we might witness later. We are probably a decade or more away from completely revolutionising the ways of transport. However, EVs aren’t that futuristic. There have been some options in the Indian market for quite some time now. But we are still in the search of a popular one.

The launch event came to a close after a brief presentation on the expansion plan of the company. The target of setting up 450 dealerships in the next three years and expanding in the field of research and development looks promising. Electric vehicles are here to stay but emphasis will be on better performing electric vehicles. Till then, you may want to figure out the feasibility and practicality of Ridge e-scooter.

Resource: http://www.thehindu.com/

Resource: http://grandiose.org.in/