Exclusive: Simple Energy to launch electric car by 2025. Electric motorcycle under development – EQ Mag
Based on the interaction conducted by Arpit Mahendra.
Bengaluru-based and homegrown EV maker, Simple Energy, launched its much-awaited electric scooter called the Simple ONE. The EV maker is seemingly off to a great start with an order book of over 1 lakh units which the company expects to retain despite its recent price increase. The initial launch and distribution of the Simple ONE will start from Bengaluru and then expand to other major cities within 90 days. At the launch event, we spoke to Suhas Rajkumar, Founder & CEO, Simple Energy, to ask him about his market expectations and how the EV maker plans to effectively sustain its growth now that the ball is rolling.
When asked about the next product after the ONE, Rajkumar told TOI Auto that it isn’t just the Simple ONE scooter that the EV maker is placing its bets on. Work is already underway at Simple Energy for developing their own electric car, a performance oriented electric motorcycle and more performance scooters. While he did not disclose details regarding the expected range and exact specifications of these EVs, he did say that the electric car will be made in-house. “India has enough talent and great engineers, so we should be able to develop our electric car completely on our own, just like our electric scooter Simple ONE”, he added. Speaking further on the Simple Energy electric car, he told us that final details about the product will be revealed within two years, indicating that the all-new EV could be unveiled before 2025.
It should be noted that Simple Energy’s rival Ola Electric too is working on an electric car but technical details of the EV are yet to be released. With start-ups already claiming the top spots in electric two-wheeler sales, it should be interesting to see how they fare against traditional carmakers in the four-wheeled EV space. The technical complexities of developing an electric car are far higher than that of a scooter or motorcycle. Hence, Rajkumar’s statement on the electric car being fully developed and made in India is definitely an interesting one and will force rivals also to take notice
The Simple ONE reflects the confidence that Rajkumar exhibits as it has been indigenously developed and gets a 5 kWh lithium-ion dual battery pack that offers a combined 212 km of range. When asked about the range of the removable battery, Rajkumar said that the unit is capable of delivering a range of up to 60 km on a full charge. Coupled with the 8.5 kW electric motor and a maximum torque output of 72 Nm, the Simple ONE is at par with other premium electric scooters currently on sale in India. The ONE has been launched at an ex-showroom price of Rs 1.45 lakhs to Rs 1.58 lakhs in Bengaluru, including the 750W charger. Deliveries for the 95 percent localised e-scooter will start from June 6, 2023.
Source: PTI
