Auto Expo 2020 saw a glimpse of the upcoming electric vehicles (EVs) for consumers, especially in the two-wheeler segment. Leaving few top existing players, most of them were relatively new startup companies including Bird Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd which are trying to break into the Indian automotive industry.
Bird Electric Mobility Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of the Bird Group, which showcased its lightweight electric scooter ES1+. Since then there have not been many updates regarding the upcoming e-scooter now. The e-mobility company has now confirmed that at the time of its launch, the ES1+ e-scooter will be priced around Rs 50,000 (ex-showroom).
At this price range, the Bird ES1+ would be one of the most affordable two-wheeler electric scooters in the country. Initially, the Bird ES1+ will be made available in Delhi-NCR, followed by other Tier I and Tier-II cities. It will be brought to India via CKD route from China and then assembled at the brand’s Manesar based plant.
Recently, Bird Electric has signed an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Australia’s e-mobility brand – VMoto. Under the deal, Bird Mobility will purchase a CUMini electric scooter this month for the purpose of testing for a ride-sharing project funded by the Government of India.
Specifications
The company has tried to give a state-of-the-art design by equipping this scooter with advanced features. It has a sharp design LED headlamp/tail lamp with split seat and LCD instrument cluster. As far as size is concerned, its length is 1782mm, width 727mm, and height is 1087mm. This scooter also has a longer wheelbase of 1217mm. Ground clearance is expected at 140 mm.
As far as the powertrain is concerned, this electric scooter has a 3Ah capacity lithium-ion battery pack and a 1.6kW electric motor. In a single charge, this scooter gives a driving range of up to 55 km and its top speed is 45 km per hour. If the company offers this scooter in the market at a lower price then it will prove to be a better option for daily commuters.
Expected Launch
The official launch is yet to be announced, meanwhile, the industry experts and media reports claim the e-scooter to get launched by mid-2021. Initially, the Bird ES1+ will be made available in Delhi-NCR, followed by other Tier I and Tier-II cities. Batteries on the e-scooter will be swappable and it will be brought to India as a CKD product from China and locally assembled in India.