BSA e-scooters set to chase the charge

Lower running costs, no noise, zero emissions and go-green...the list of benefits for e-scooters is now a familiar one. What is not familiar however is a good, sturdy and reliable e-bike that goes past novelty into the territory of a reliable urban runaround - the main reason being slipshod assembly of borrowed Chinese maal. Although there some big names including Hero Motors and TVS have entered the fray with their own electric scooters in recent times, the market is going to need some more reliable players and models to establish true credentials.

BSA Motors, a strategic business unit of TII and a part of the multi-billion dollar Murugappa Group ventured into the fledgling market today after launching one of the widest ranges of e-scooters in Pune. Ranging from three no-riding-license-needed 250W scooters to more powerful and grunty 500W and 800W vehicles, BSA Motors' lineup seems to be one of the more though-out ones in recent times, with some offering for every slice of customers.

At the bottom of the range is the BSA Smile, a 250W scooters with a top speed of 25 km/h and a range of 60 km per charge. At Rs 25,600 ex-Pune, it is also the most inexpensive products of the range and is being leveled at school teens. The other 250W scooters in the range are the Diva and the Street Rider, which are more stylish to appeal to the college going crowd.

The top of the range sees the Roamer and Roamer+ models, which are much more serious in terms of load carrying and speed. The Roamer comes with e 500W motor that gives it a top speed of 40 km/h, while the Roamer+ is capable of 45 km/h with its 800W motor. Both vehicles have a range per charge of about 50 km. Aimed at housewives and working professionals, the scooters have enough load carrying capacity to carry two comfortably, and the company seems keen on promoting this.

That's that with the range launched, but there's more to the BSA Motors story that promises to make it a daunting force in the new market. To start with, the company's commitment seems certain. With a brand new 300-million rupee plant at Ambattur near Chennai built specifically for assembling e-scooters, the company is not hiding the fact of this being one of the most advanced e-scooter facilities in the country. The plant has an initial production capacity of 150 scooters a day, which can be ramped up to 300 vehicles per day. Even though the current indigenization percentage lies at about 22 percent with motors, batteries and controllers imported, the company is trying to reduce dependence on foreign components.

After having sold the scooters in the South for a good part of a year through 48 dealerships in the region, the launch in Pune comes as recognition of the city as a scooter hub. In fact, the company's next focus is Maharashtra, with around 12 dealerships and eight sub-dealers planned in eight major towns in the state in this year.