Bengaluru company transforms petrol moped bikes into EVs

Rising petrol prices are continuously bothering the common man, while on the other hand, the cost of EV two-wheelers start from at least ₹70,000. To solve this problem, Bengaluru based mobility company, Bounce's subsidiary Zuink has developed a technology where Moped's internal combustion engine will be replaced by a hub motor and a swappable lithium-ion battery within 6 hours

Bengaluru: Bengaluru based mobility company, Bounce's subsidiary Zuink has come up with new technology where petrol moped bikes can now be converted into electric vehicles for a small amount of ₹27,000 including RTO registration.

Rising petrol prices are continuously bothering the common man, while on the other hand, the cost of EV two-wheelers start from at least ₹70,000. To solve this problem, Zuink has developed a technology where Moped's internal combustion engine will be replaced by a hub motor and a swappable lithium-ion battery within 6 hours.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Zuink company's Vice President Sachin Shenoy said, "On an average 6-7-year-old IC Engine moped gives a mileage of 35 to 40 km/l, on the other hand, Zuink company's "retrofit" will be showing performance of 55 km/ per charge. As we are adopting swappable battery technology each battery fully charged will cost ₹ 85. For comparison, each IC engine will have a running cost of ₹3.5 (approx) and retrofit will cost ₹ 1.25. This will reduce 50% of cost he says."

Currently, the company has moped conversion hub motors ready but in the coming days EV motors for bikes will also be available. The company has also designed a Hybrid motor that will also be launched with the Hub motor in December, said Shenoy.

Company sources have also confirmed to ETV Bharat that during the December launch there will be more surprises, which will be beneficial for the consumers.

Shenoy said that the company has started pre-bookings for the retrofit. The company is also offering EMI schemes and many consumers are showing interest in them, he further said.

Questioned about the availability of battery scalable stations, Shenoy said that they will ensure trouble-free battery replacement to customers. "Presently there are around 750+ fuel stations in the city and our goal is to meet the demands for battery swapping within range."

The retrofit technology was developed in-house during the lockdown period. Company credibility will depend on battery swapping stations and the service which they provide after the sale of Hub motors. Presently the company has decided to launch a pilot project in Bengaluru and will later expand to other cities.