In its bid to alter the market dynamics of the Indian LCV market, Electric Vehicle manufacturer Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM) has rolled out M1KA for a price tag of Rs. 15 lakh. Positioned as the country’s First Electric Small Commercial Vehicle (SCV), it will also be offered in an autonomous technology version. The company claims that the vehicle, which can go upto 200-250km in a single charge, has a payload capacity of 2 tonnes. Nearly Rs. 100 crore was deployed for the development of this platform, which will also be having other body derivatives like Passenger Transport, etc.
Deb Mukherji, Managing Director, OSM said, “We are creating a new segment altogether and that is where the fresh demand will come. Secondly, the existing users will switch and there is a very good incentive for them to switch. We are aiming for a 10 percent market share of the overall LCV market of say 2-3 lakh units per annum. Our market may go up to 50 percent by 2030.”
The e-SCV is 90 per cent localized and will be available in three variants with the base version being earmarked for normal cargo movement, mid-range for food and milk delivery (-2-to-4-degree temperature), and top-end for vaccine transportation. Some of the standard features of the vehicle are air conditioning, EPS, Airbags, seatbelts, GPS-enabled dashboard.
The company is planning to sell 10,000 units in the first year going up to 25,000 per year subsequently. It is also gearing up to ship out this vehicle to countries in ASEAN, Africa and Latin America. "We are seeing a lot of enquiries from countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Zambia, Kenya, South Africa,” Mukherji added.
Founded by ex-NRI Uday Narang, OSM is the strategic business unit of the Anglian Omega Group that will be pumping in Rs. 120 crore for this financial year out of Rs. 500 crore earmarked till 2023/24. The homegrown EV maker has already expanded its EV range by launching Sun Ri (three-wheeler cargo), Ride (E-rickshaw), and Stream (passenger auto-rickshaw). Besides the electric pickup truck, OSM is also rolling out two-wheelers followed by an e-bus and an e-tractor—all coming in 2021 and thereafter.