Formed in February 2018 in Birmingham, England, GoZero launched its India business in March 2019 with two products, “Mile” and “One”. In February 2020, GoZero India rebranded itself as GoZero Make.Fit, with a primary focus on the Fit India movement. The company’s strategy was to increase their customer base by highlighting the fitness side of owning an e-bike.
In an interview with Mobility Outlook, Ankit Kumar, CEO, GoZero Make.Fit said the Skellig Lite was launched with the intention of bringing e-bikes within reach of the larger section of the population, the middle-class.
“Unfortunately, the economics of manufacturing and logistics are currently not permitting us to go lower. However, to reduce the burden of the buyer, we are offering EMI options and other financing schemes from multiple service partners,” Kumar said.
While most established brands have been doing a great job, Kumar said, their research among cycle dealers and potential buyers has shown that people would not like to be shoehorned with just one single option. People want choice.
The company has recently launched its Skellig range of products, which starts with the Skellig Lite, its cheapest offering, and goes up to Skellig Pro, with the Skellig sitting in between them.
Future Plans
Giving us an insight into the company’s future plans, Kumar said new models are in the works, and they will be targeted towards specific use purposes such as fitness or road utility. Kumar predicts e-bikes will play a major part in city mobility. “I see e-bikes playing a major role in transforming the way people move in cities. Cost of ownership of personal mobility continues to go up, and the severity of the COVID pandemic has forced people to refrain from shared mobility options,” he said.
E-bikes are already being seen as a prominent solution in reducing costs and living more efficiently. While e-biking is already a lifestyle in many developed cities, denizens of fast developing cities like Dubai, have seen the value that e-bikes offer and have taken its adoption by storm.
Compared to e-scooters, e-bikes are a better option, claimed Kumar. Most importantly, he argued, riders of e-bikes do not have to suffer from range anxiety. Even if the battery gets drained during travel, one can always use the pedals to reach the desired destination. Moreover, e-bikes are much cheaper than e-scooters, he said.
Clear Advantages
The purpose of an e-bike is to provide the best of both worlds – clean and active mobility. It is faster than a traditional bicycle, and hence offers much greater distance without breaking a sweat, literally speaking. An e-bike enhances the feasibility of fitting a bicycle in today’s fast paced world.
Compared to an EV (two- or four-wheeler), e-bikes are much more economical, considering the initial investment and the monthly running costs. Secondly, it eliminates the prime deterrence in EVs – range anxiety, because an e-bike can be operated just as well without the pedal-assist. Thirdly, it greatly reduces the space required per road traveller, potentially eliminating traffic jams and finally, e-bikes provide more physical activity for the commuter, than when travelling on an EV.