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Scooters India to launch three-wheeled car

Byas Anand in New Delhi

The state-run Scooters India Limited is working towards introducing a personalised mini car on its electric three-wheeler platform, SIL chairman and managing director A Sahay said.

The vehicle, which would be a fully-covered three-wheeler, would be sold as a personalised vehicle for customers wanting to upgrade from a two-wheeler to a car, Sahay said.

The company is yet to finalise the final price tag for the vehicle. The electric three-wheeler is priced in the Rs 160,000 bracket.

''This is among the several variants being planned on our electric three-wheeler -- Vikram-EV. The product is presently being readied and would soon be introduced commercially,'' he added.

SIL is also planning several other variants on the same electric three-wheeler platform, which includes ambulances, an open-bodied version, a load carrier and a pick-up version.

''The personalised car would initially be produced in limited numbers and mass production would commence only after a firm policy and lower import duty for batteries are in place,'' Sahay said.

The company is presently at a concept selling stage with the car and is expecting the total electric car market to grow to 40,000 units over the next few years. ''We are looking at capturing close to 50 per cent of the market with our vehicle.''

Besides, the company is also planning to franchise its once-popular Lambretta brand name to other domestic scooter manufacturers.

Recognising the massive brand equity that Lambretta carries, SIL has decided to approach several scooter manufacturers in the country for franchising the brand. However, it is not in favour of selling off the brand, Sahay said.

The company has already franchised the brands to some apparel manufacturers and merchandisers for use on their products.

The Lambretta brand was purchased by SIL several years ago from Innochenti of Italy. The brand was being used on the scooters being produced by the company for export markets. The scooters were being sold in the domestic market under the Vijay, Super and Sunny brand names.

But the company later discontinued production of two-wheelers and graduated to manufacturing three-wheelers. ''We have now totally moved out of two-wheeler manufacturing and have no plans to venture back. SIL has made three-wheelers its core competency and intends to stick to it,'' Sahay said.

SIL had recently introduced the country's first battery operated three-wheeler -- Vikram-EV -- and is in the process of developing a gas-powered version of the same -- Vikram-PG.

Vikram-EV is driven by a DC motor with power input at 72 volts from special deep discharge cycle batteries. It has neither engine nor gearbox and is a zero-emission vehicle. ''Reversing the vehicle is carried out by changing the direction of rotation of the motor and thus no gear shifting is involved. The vehicle is designed to carry seven passengers.''

Regarding the company's performance, he said, SIL has met all its debt obligations, including pay back of principal and interest due thereon within the specified time. It has also been granted the miniratna status. (Miniratna = second-ranked state-controlled enterprises. The navratnas are the top nine blue chip companies among the public sector undertakings.)

It has, over the past, increased its production and sales, and also developed four models of three-wheelers -- Vikram 750D, Vikram 410D, Vikram 410P and Vikram 600P.

UNI

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