India’s first e-scooter does not come with batteries, no charging required.

Bounce’s Infiniti E1 e-scooter requires no charging, It does not come with batteries, no charging required

  Earlier this month, Bangalore-based Electric Mobility Startup Bounce launched its first customer electric scooter, Infiniti E1, which comes with a unique feature.  It is the first e-scooter in India that does not necessarily come with batteries and therefore requires no charging.  This e-scooter with the ‘Battery as a Service’ option is available to customers at Rs 45,099 (Delhi Ex-Showroom), but they can be pre-booked for a refund of Rs 499.  Deliveries are scheduled for March.  2022 through its dealership network and its e-platform. 

  But what does the ‘battery service’ option include?  The Better India spoke with Vivekananda Hallekere, CEO and co-founder of Bounce, to understand this unique feature.

  “The recently launched Bounce Infinity E1 offers a unique ‘Battery As a Service’ option – the first in the Indian market.  Customers pay for a battery exchange whenever they exchange an empty battery with a fully charged battery from Bounce’s swapping network, which they say will reduce the scooter’s operating cost by 40% compared to conventional scooters.

  To date, Startup claims its battery-swapping station network has over 200 stations in major Indian cities such as Delhi-NCR and Bangalore, which has completed more than 500,000 swaps and enabled 2 crore EV kilometres.

  “USD 100 million investment in brioe-scooters and ready to expand battery exchange structure over the coming 12 months.  The ambition is to build the world’s largest and densest battery exchange platform to support India’s transformation and provide its customers with one-kilometre exchange, ”he adds.

  Startup has partnered with various brands Nobroker, Park +, Readyassist, Helloworld, Kitchens @, Goodbox, etc. to strengthen the electric mobility ecosystem across the country by installing more than 3,500 battery exchanges in 10 cities.

  “This Smart Framework is available for guests in their brio app to find a near exchange, similar as casing associations, major parking lots, promenades, and commercial services.  The best part of the ‘Battery as a Service’ option is that anyone can partner with us and become a battery exchange partner.  It can be a local mom and pop store or you can host a couple of batteries from your home.  People can invest if they can’t host the venue and have a steady return on the investment they make.  We call it ‘bounce power’, which enables ordinary people to be part of this transition to clean energy, ”he explains.

  Partnering with Park + is to strengthen EV ecosystems across the country by setting up 3,500 battery exchanges in 10 Indian cities.  Vivekananda says this Smart Framework will be available to customers in their bounce app or park + app to find nearby exchanges, such as residential associations, major parking lots, malls and corporate offices.

  However, the Bounce Infinity E1 is supplied with a battery that can be removed from the scooter and customers can charge at their home or office or convenient location, along with a charger.  Priced at Rs 68,999 (ex-showroom), the Infiniti E1 is powered by a 2kWh lithium-ion battery pack and offers a range of 85 km on a single charge.  Using any standard power socket this battery takes about 4 to 5 hours to fully charge.

  Meanwhile, the Infinity E1’s other key features with the battery and charger include 65 kmph, 0-40 kmph in 8 seconds, and torque output of 83Nm.

  Customers can ride this e-scooter in two riding modes, the Power and Eco, but it is built in a tubular frame and has hydraulic telescopic front suspension and two shock absorbers at the rear.  Going forward, it comes with an electronic braking system with disc brakes on both ends and also features regenerative braking technology.  Finally, this e-scooter also comes with a comprehensive warranty of up to 3 years or 50,000 km.

  Infinity E1 is being developed

  Bounce began working on EVs and its swapping network at the end of 2019.  He first worked with contract manufacturers and co-developed the model deployed in its fleet.  Subsequently, in early 2021, it acquired EV OEM and worked to launch the Bounce Infiniti E1 in December, including the replacement of the replaceable battery, durable chassis and so on.

 “We felt strongly that fleet owners like us would be the first movers and take advantage of the good economics of EV and build infrastructure that could be passed on to consumers.  Initially it was not possible to find any easy-to-use form factor for the shortage, and the range of anxiety and downtime that comes with the fixed battery (charging) was not feasible for a fleet operator like us, ”explains Vivekananda.

  Therefore, Bounce has invested heavily in R&D with the internal vehicle engineering team to modify some existing models and to design and develop a new model from scratch, especially in the removable battery and swap network.  After investing in and developing form factors that fit Indian conditions, “it makes sense to manufacture and sell these to consumers in a market that is starving for good electric bikes.”

  “So we started with a small design to make an electric scooter that works for India and the trip has brought us then..  We are a 2km KM in a battery exchange built on the power of Battery and Mom and Pop stores.  The company firmly believes that India is on the verge of an EV revolution and is committed to taking on all the challenges of bounce to bring India to the world map of electric mobility adopters, ”he claims.

  Stay out of the crowd

  Most two-wheeler owners in India do not have access to dedicated parking for their vehicles.  People who have access to dedicated parking may not even have access to a specific parking space.  The inability to charge a two-wheeler is a major obstacle to EV adoption in India.

  “The Infiniti E1 is the first and only scooter in India – to swap batteries and charge at home from the bounce network.

  He describes some of the unique and attractive features of Infinity E1 as follows:

  Remote Apps – It can be tracked remotely with the available battery charge status.

  Drag Mode – This mode enables the scooter to move at walking speed if you have a puncture and want to push it.

  Reverse Mode – This allows you to move the scooter back and forth easily from tight parking spaces.

  Cruise Control – This feature drives the scooter at a constant speed regardless of the conditions and terrain.

  Anti-Theft- Infinity E1 senses vibrations when stopped and can be understood if it is destroyed.  It locks its rear wheels in response to movement and makes it difficult to move.

  Tow Alert – Infinity E1 alerts you if it moves and pulls out of its parking zone.  Notifications alert the owner and even track your vehicle.

  Unlike other EV manufacturers, Bounce doesn’t just launch the vehicle, but build a whole ecosystem with it.  Whether it succeeds or not remains to be determined, but one cannot mistake the vision of playing here.

Price

Infinity E1 Without Battery Pack

₹52,940

Infinity E1 With Battery Pack

₹76,321

Infinity E1 key highlights

Riding Range          85 Km

Top Speed               65 Kmph

Kerb Weight             94 kg

Rated Power            1500 W

Seat Height               780 mm

Battery charging time 4 Hrs

5 exciting colours

with a choice of infinite skins

Warranty upto 3 years

  Sources: Yoshita Rao / Rinchon Norbu Wangchuk.