Adding to the growing tribe of electric two-wheelers launched in the country in recent times, eBikeGo on Wednesday launched an electric moto-scooter called ‘Rugged’ powered by a 3 kW motor. The product would be available at a starting price of INR 79,999 for the lower-end G1 model, while the G1+ is priced at INR 99,999.
Customers can now pre-book the Rugged on its official website for INR 499. Deliveries of the product will begin in November 2021.
If the government's recent announcement that EVs will not be subject to road tax is taken into consideration, the G1's base price could be significantly lower, said the company. For now, the company has included the FAME II subsidy in the ex-showroom prices of these products, but not the state subsidies.
What is the Rugged all about?
The Rugged houses a 3 kW motor and a 2x2 kWh replaceable battery that helps the moto-scooter reach a top speed of 70 kmph. The batteries charge in 3.5 hours and have a range of 160 km, said the company. Plus, there is 30 litre of storage capacity.
The body of the Rugged is composed of a cradle chassis and steel frame, and includes 12 built-in smart sensors. Designed and manufactured in India, Rugged is claimed to be the strongest and most durable EV ever constructed for Indian roads. The bike comes with a seven-year warranty on the chassis.
The vehicle was created using data obtained from millions of data points analysed by eBikeGo's artificial intelligence-driven fleet management system and EBG Matics (eBikeGo's patented IoT technology) from its B2B and B2C operations.
From an electronics standpoint, the Rugged gets a lot of interesting features. It comes with 4G, BLE, CAN bus, GPS/IRNSS, 42 inputs/outputs, serial ports, and a comprehensive modular sensor suite. The Rugged also comes with an app that allows the user to unlock and ride the moto-scooter. It has an anti-theft feature that ensures the safety of the rider in the case of an accident or other emergency.
eBikeGo will manufacture the Rugged in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, in conjunction with Boom Motors. The company expects to reach a production capacity of 100,000 units “soon”, and is confident of fulfilling pre-orders in the coming months.
In the upcoming months, it plans to have 3,000+ charging stations. Rugged will be available in all cities in India via online pre-booking and offline experience centres. The company also plans to set up experience centres in nine Indian states.