Okinawa Launches Praise, Lines Up E-Bike Next Year
Okinawa Autotech Pvt. Ltd., a homegrown electric two-wheeler manufacturing company floated in 2015, rolled out its second scooter ‘Praise scooter’ in the country. Priced at Rs. 59,889 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the Gurgaon-based firm has received over 300 bookings of this model since it commends bookings on 24th November. The company has set a target of selling 50,000 units in the next fiscal. With its first scooter Ridge rolled out in January this year, the company expects to close the current fiscal with sales of 5,000 units and double the numbers in the subsequent fiscal. The EV maker, which has invested $10 million until now, has already established a greenfield facility at Bhiwadi, Rajasthan with an installed capacity of 90,000 units per annum.
Commenting on its latest offering, Jeetender Sharma - Founder & M D. of Okinawa Scooters said, “Every feature in ‘Praise’ has been added after careful consideration of the needs and preferences of riders which came after the rigorous screening of each component & day long endurance testing of praise of around 25,000 km different parts of the country that immensely facilitate their commuting experience. The model has a range of around 170-200 kilometres on a single charge and can attain a top speed of 75 kilometres per hour, which makes it fastest in the electric two-wheeler segment of the country.”
Praise is powered by a detachable 9Kg lithium-ion battery pack which is propelled by a high phase BLDC motor which is water resistant and comes with a few modes like Economy (35kmph), Sporty (65kmph) and Turbo (75kmph). The torque output of the motor ranges from 18Nm to 40NM. The battery, which can be charged while fitted in the scooter as well as separately, has a lifespan of 2,000 cycles and is offered with a 3-year replacement warranty. Running on 12-inch wheels, the scooter has dual gas-charged rear shock-absorbers and telescopic front suspensions.
It is also equipped with safety features such as unique dual front disc brakes, single rear disc brake, E-ABS (Electronic - Assisted Braking System) and a side-stand safety sensor. It is also loaded with features like LED lights, a fully-digital instrument console, and adjustable brake levers. It also comes with a boot capacity of 19.5 litres and various features like disc brakes, mobile charging point, alloy wheels, etc.
Meantime, Okinawa has also firmed up plans to introduce e-bike in a couple of months as part of its plans to scale up operations in the country. The company also plans to come up with a new manufacturing plant in next couple of years.
"We plan to launch an e-motorcycle in a couple of months. We are looking at unveiling it at the Auto Expo (2018). We may follow it with another model later. However, we are not interested in the hybrid or three-wheeled products,” Sharma told BW Businessworld on the sidelines of launching Praise. He added, "We have tentatively shortlisted some locations and depending upon the response we plan to establish a second plant," Sharma said.
