The Chennai-based e2W start-up, Raptee Energy, intends to enter the market by July this year. The e2w is currently under testing and is expected to cost about INR 2.5 lakh before subsidies.
In an interview with Mobility Outlook, Phunith Kumar, COO and Co-Founder, Raptee Energy, said that the company had to develop the platform from the ground up to accommodate the high power. The bike will use a 240V system with a 20kW motor and a 5.5kWh lithium-ion battery.
'At higher powers, the current consumption with the 240 volt system will be much lower, making the vehicle more efficient,' he said. Furthermore, the high voltage system enables the e2W to be compatible with existing CCS 2 chargers with fast charging capabilities.
However, according to the COO, the USP of the product is its Vehicle Control Unit (VCU). With a strong focus on connected mobility, the VCU allows the vehicle to be connected to the cloud.
'Every single motorbike is connected to the centralised server, allowing for vehicle-to-vehicle communication through which faults or problems from one motorcycle can be investigated and corrected in other motorcycles,' Kumar explained. This will allow the company to remotely solve up to 80% of customer service issues.
In addition, the VCU allows the vehicle to have a slew of other capabilities, including an in-built GPS that enables the user to discover the nearest charging stations on a trip using integrated maps. For this, the company is in talks with MapmyIndia.
In addition, the company has developed a collision warning system for the e-bike. The system will feature sensors on either side of the two-wheeler to detect any other vehicles that pass by. In addition, it will deliver vibration feedback through the handlebar as it detects something, the co-founder explained.
On the sales front, the company intends to introduce the vehicle in Chennai, followed by Bengaluru six months later. By the end of FY23, it aims to sell 10,000 units of the e2W, the company claimed.
The company has signed a letter of understanding with the Tamil Nadu government and is in talks with Guidance Bureau, the state's principal agency for bringing in investments, to purchase a 36-acre land for its second facility, Phunith concluded.