The Hindu : Business : Eco-friendly e-bikes from Lohia Auto

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Eco-friendly e-bikes from Lohia Auto

Special Correspondent

The vehicles are powered by 250 Watt motor
Company hopes to sell 20,000 units
this fiscal

— PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY

EFFICIENT: V. K. Gupta, President, Lohia Auto Industries (left), with Narayan Kumar Lohia, Founder Chairman, Lohia Group, during the launch of e-bike, at the India International Trade Fair, in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: Targeting the fast-growing eco-friendly vehicle segment, Lohia Auto Industries (LAI), a part of the Lohia Group, on Friday launched two electric bikes, priced at Rs. 25,000 and Rs.35,000. The company, which has set up a new manufacturing facility at Kashipur in Uttarakhand, plans to introduce electric three-wheeler within next three months.

Unveiling the electric bikes on the inaugural day of the India International Trade Fair here, company President V. K Gupta said the e-bikes, developed with technical collaboration from Germany, were powered by 250 Watt motor rechargeable battery that could also be charged with an inverter or generator.

“The highly-efficient bikes can go over 50 km per charge at a cost of only 10 paise a km. These easy-to-handle bikes have a maximum speed limit of 25 km an hour and no registration or licence or registration is required to drive them. High fuel prices and low maintenance cost are the main attractions that would boost sales of these eco-friendly bikes,” he added.

According to LAI Chief Executive Officer Ayush Lohia, the company hopes to sell 20,000 units in this fiscal. With a total manufacturing capacity of two-lakh units annually, the company was looking at exporting e-bikes, particularly to China, Thailand and Indonesia, he said.

LAI will also be developing three more two-wheeler models that will be launched next year, while electric three-wheelers would be launched within next three months.

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