The electric revolution is here : Independence Day Special

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It has been 70 years since India got its freedom from the British. Living through the last seven decades wasn’t an easy one, and neither will the next few decades be. The current government is serious about bringing in some drastic change toin various aspects of ourthis iconic country, and automobiles is one of them. First it was skipping the BS5 emission norms and jumping directly to BS6 by 2020. And now, it’s about freedom from dependence on middle-east. Confused? Well, the government wants to have only electric vehicles on sale from 2030. That means, no importing oil from Saudi Arabia or Iran which will drastically reduce our oil bills. In short, India will see a lot of two-wheeler manufacturers getting into electric vehicle operations and bringing in indigenous products. In fact, there are already a few who have taken the plunge years ago and this is who they are. 

Ather Energy

Backed by some of India’s richest honchos, Ather Energy is trying to add a new life into the world of electric two-wheelers. With its first product, the S340, the company is trying to introducegive a stylish yet economical electric scooter with a range up to 60km and a top speed of 72kmph. The interesting bit here is it takes just one hour to charge 80 percent of the battery back. So by the time you're done shopping at Dmart, your scooter will be ready for another stint. 

Hero Electric

This is thee only EV maker who has been consistently offering a wide range of products in India. Hero Electric, through its wide dealer network  has been able to convince a lot of consumers to dump fossil fuels and accept electric- powered two-wheels. The company offers high speed EVs for performance thirsty consumers, and super economy series for those who just want s to travel a lot of distance in one charge. It also offers pedal assist e-bike through its Avior brand. 

Yo Bykes

This company doesn’t have the reach like Hero does, but has been selling EVs for since many years now. The interesting bit here is rather than focusing on metros where the electrification is better, the company focuses a lot on semi-urban and rural areas.  

Torq Motorcycles

They made India proud in international arenas by participating and winning in various racing events. Torq has been working on a few electric bikes since the last few years. In fact, the company is already accepting bookings for their latest creation, the T6X. Built from ground up, this bike is expected to bring an electric revolution in India. Also, they are the same people who created the electric Yamaha FZ16. 

Hero MotoCorp

The Duet-E, Leap, iON – these are some of the electric and hybrid vehicles that Hero has been planning to bring to the Indian market. While all these vehicles were shown in the concept forms, it still shows the company’s eagerness to change with the time and be part of the electric revolution. But the most important question is, can it become the world’s largest electric two-wheeler manufacturer? We’ll know in the next two decades. 

TVS 

TVS has been tight-lipped about its EV ambitions but if a few reports are to be believed, then TVS will be the first company to launch a full-size electric scooter in India. This launch is expected to happen in the next few months. 

Mahindra

With Reva, Mahindra pioneered the Indian electric car business. But not too many a lot of people know about their electric two-wheeler, the GenZe. It’s a utilitarian electric scooter that has been developed in US and also sold in US. It is a no brainer that Mahindra will definitely take some learnings from the GenZe and apply it when they start developing India-focused two-wheelers. 

While the drastic policy changes demonstrates shows the government's intentions, supporting OEMs and building theup necessary infrastructure are equally important. Recently, Nagpur became the first city in India to set up electric public transportation in association with Ola. This clearly shows that the electric revolution is here.