It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride for electric-vehicle manufacturers in India, what with the government's recently announced FAME II scheme seeing changes. The policy – announced with a humongous budget of around Rs 10,000 crore and incorporating tough localisation levels for OEMs – has seen constant debate in the corridors of power and the India automotive industry.
On April 4, 2019 Gurgaon-based Revolt Intellicorp, promoted by Rahul Sharma, co-founder of the giant consumer electronics company, Micromax, made an ambitious announcement that the company would launch the country's first AI-powered electric motorcycle by June 2019. However, no details about the company's plans, motorcycle design or specifications were revealed.
What is known is that Revolt Intellicorp has a manufacturing capacity in Manesar, Haryana, spread across 10,000 sq ft and a production capacity of around 1.2 lakh units in Phase 1 of the project. Sharma has disclosed that the company's R&D team has been working on the project for nearly two years, now.
The AI-enabled, LTE-connected motorcycle, which will be equipped with a 4G SIM card, will have a top speed limited to 85kph, which is likely to be increased to 100kph later, with a range of around 150km. While the motor and batteries are imported, the BMS (Battery Management System) and the ECU (Electronic Control Unit) are an in-house design. Furthermore, the eco-friendly motorcycle will also have a battery swapping system.
THREE PRODUCTS PLANNED, 100 PERCENT LOCALISATION BY END OF 2020
Now, our sister publication, Autocar Professional, has learnt that Revolt Intellicorp is not working on launching one motorcycle. It is, in fact, plotting a trio of new product launches. The company aims to meet the localisation levels outlined under the FAME II scheme. As a result, customers may get financial incentives under the scheme when buying a Revolt motorcycle.
Revolt's first EV for India is expected to cost around Rs 1.2 lakh, and after accounting for the FAME II subsidy (Rs 25,000), the electric motorcycle would retail at around Rs 95,000, putting it under the Rs 1 lakh mark, which looks to be quite promising.
Interestingly, the company will have more than one offering lined up for the Indian EV market. There are plans to launch its products in three segments – personal, institutional and commercial – comprising different motors with nominal power upto 4.5kW with a 45A controller.
In terms of localisation, Revolt Intellicorp is targeting 75 percent localisation when it launches its e-bike in June 2019 and 100 percent localisation by end-FY2020. As earlier announced, bookings will begin in June but the deliveries will only start by September 2019.
Going by the trend, Revolt may start deliveries to institutional buyers first and later expand its sales to personal and other buyers.
With the Revolt electric motorcycle in the advanced stages of tests at ARAI, Pune, the company is optimistic that it will get certification soon and be able to keep up with its scheduled launch date in June. Revolt’s first product will face competition from upcoming electric motorcycles like Tork Motors’ T6X and the affordable India-spec Evoke Project M1 e-bike.