The moment of reckoning for the Indian EV market is around. For, Bounce Infinity E1 electric scooter, which comes with 'battery as a service option'--- the first one in India to do so --- will be offered to customers from April 18.
The Bengaluru-based startup, which has its manufacturing unit in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, has commenced production, and the much-expected vehicle, which was formally unveiled last December, will be available for delivery.
And once Bounce Infinity E1 with battery as service option is available to customers, its efficacy will be put to test, and we will know whether that will be the game-changer that many are claiming it would be.
For the record, the Indian government itself is working on a national policy for battery swapping in the EV industry.
Bounce Infinity E1: What battery swapping entails
The company claims that 'battery swapping' pushes the running costs of the scooter down substantially, by as much as 40% compared to conventional scooters. Battery swapping, as the name suggests is simply replacing a depleted battery with a fully charged one at a battery swapping station.
Bounce Infinity E1 will also be offered with the battery, which can be removed from the scooter and charged by customers at their home or office or wherever convenient. The battery can be charged in 4-5 hours when connected to a regular electric socket. The company says that they have placed special emphasis on the safety and quality of batteries before they are shipped along with the scooters.
As it is, Bounce Infinity with battery costs around Rs 69,000 and one without the battery costs around Rs 45,000 (the prices are ex-showroom, but hugely dependent on State subsidies). At the price level itself there is some difference. Buyers opting for non-battery and charger vehicle, can choose the Rs 1,249/month subscription plan. In addition, they will have to pay Rs 35 each time they swap the battery. Bounce Infinity is targeting 10 cities to set up a minimum of 300 Battery Swap Stations per city to provide battery swapping as a practical means of electric mobility in India. The customers pay for the battery swap and return the empty battery for a fully charged one through this network.
Vivekananda Hallekere, Co-Founder and CEO, Bounce Infinity said, "With the roll-out of the Bounce Infinity E1 from our plant, we are thrilled that the first batch of our electric scooters will soon make its way to eagerly awaiting customers across the country."
Bounce Infinity E1: Features
The e-scooter offers a range of 85kms per charge and has a maximum speed of 65 km/h. The Bounce Infinity E1 comes in five colour options --- Sparkle Black, Comet Gray, Sporty Red, Pearl White and Desat Silver. The Bounce Infinity E1, a made-in India e-scooter, comes with an IP 67 rated 2kWhr 48V battery pack.
Bounce Infinity can accelerate from zero to 40 km/h in eight seconds. The scooter features a digital speedometer, projector headlamps, cruise control, and many more.
It has a 12-litre boot space and sports round rear view mirrors and connected features via Bluetooth used for geofencing, track my scooter and check charging status. It also has reverse mode and tow alert along with a unique drag mode that allows the user to move the scooter along in the event of a puncture.
Bounce Infinity's state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bhiwadi is spread across three acres and has an annual production capacity of 2,00,000 units. The startup is planning to put up another unit in South India with an annual capacity exceeding 5,00,000 scooters.
Bounce has committed $100 million for R&D, manufacturing of e-scooters and expanding the battery swapping infrastructure across India.
Bounce is backed by investors such as Accel India, Accel US, Sequoia Capital India, B Capital, Falcon Edge, Qualcomm, Chirate, Omidyar Network, Maverick Capital and has raised over $220 million so far.
