Raipur-based Godawari Electric Motors plans to launch five new products while increasing its touchpoints and market presence in FY24 as it enters its first year of production, confirmed Hyder Ali Khan, CEO, Godawari Electric Motors.
The company began operations in 2019, leasing e-Rickshaws. However, following the pilot phase of understanding and studying the market acceptance of EV vehicles (2019-20), the company decided to enter the vehicle manufacturing business.
During the Auto Expo 2023, the e-mobility player showcased its first set of products, including the Rozee e-auto along with Eblu Spin and Thrill e-cycles; the retails of these vehicles started mid-March 2023. By the end of this month, the company plans to launch an e-loader based on the same platform as the Rozee e-auto, with a loading capacity of 500 kg and ARAI-certified range of 163 kms, the CEO noted. The e-loader will have the same basic platform with 10kWH 51.2 V lithium-ion battery and a 5.5 kWh motor sourced from Bosch while featuring the DCPD material for the body.
DCPD material, for which the company had filed a patent in November last year, is a mixture of three resins of high-grade plastic. According to the company, the material has three key advantages: it is 'virtually unbreakable,' it does not rust, and the paint quality on the material remains intact for a longer period, Khan said. He also stated that the material is used in the dashboard and bumpers of high-end Volvo and Daimler trucks.
Post the launch of the e-loader, the company plans to launch a high-speed e-scooter by June, which is under the certification stage with ICAT. The scooter is expected to have a 1.5 kWh hub motor with 42Ah 60 volt lithium-ion battery and will be positioned as a family scooter. With a main focus on comfort, safety, drivability and manoeuvrability, the e-scooter is said to have a claimed range of 100 kms with a top speed of 60 kmph, Khan said.
He added that a funkier version of the scooter targeted towards young customers is also planned during the forthcoming festive season. Both the scooters share the same mechanical underpinnings; however, the e-scooter will have a peppier power output and a top speed of 70 kmph, the CEO added.
Meanwhile, an e-rickshaw based on a modified L-5 chassis used in its e-auto and the e-loader is also planned for the year. To be placed in the low-speed category, the L3 is expected to be launched in September. While an e-motorcycle, targeted towards the entry-level motorcycle range, is also planned for March 2024. Although not yet finalised, the product is expected to share components with the e-scooter with relevant changes, Khan said.
The company aims to maintain the same platform for each category of products as the investments in developing a new platform are much higher. “The platform is going to be the same till we look at a different breed of vehicle, because this is where the real challenge and the testing is coming,” he said.
Expanding Network
The company intends to aggressively expand its dealership network to support the product expansion. During the conversation, it was revealed that currently, Godawari has 28 dealerships across India. The plan is to have 50 dealerships by August 2023 and 100 by the end of the year, with a presence in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities. It will consider multiple dealerships in a city based on the demand.
With this dealership expansion, the company hopes to have an average monthly sales of 130 units of e-auto, 150 units of e-loader, 3,000 units of scooters combined and 1,500 cycles by the end of the fiscal.
With the expansion in touchpoints, the e-mobility company plans to increase its team size from the current 180, primarily adding regional managers, sales executives, sales officers and area sales managers, among others. Currently, the company has only one sales head but employs two service heads to provide service to its customers, he said.
Besides dealership and team expansion, the company also plans to go heavy on advertising. With a planned investment of INR2 crore for FY24, Godawari plans for a three-level advertising approach with a primary focus on digital media. Moreover, the company also plans to retail its vehicles through e-commerce websites like Amazon and Flipkart. While this approach will work for b2c products, Khan believes that the company will need a different approach for b2b products like the e3Ws. For e3Ws, the company plans to go for road shows as customers of these vehicles prefer to choose the vehicles based on the touch and feel of the product. Beyond manufacturing, the CEO said that the company will look into other business models, such as vehicle financing and leasing, focussing on a specific customer base such as Zomato.
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