Luna – the revered Moped of the ‘80s and ‘90s that offered affordable a two-wheeler commuting option to lakhs of Indians – is set to come back in an electric avatar. And with a whopping marketing budget of Rs 150 crore, the company is recreating the magic of “Chal Meri Luna” and has roped in Piyush Pandey, the original creator of the famous jingle.
Kinetic electric Luna launch in February
Kinetic Green has lined up an investment of Rs 500 crore over the next three years to ramp up capacities and launch several new products as it seeks to break into the mainstream emerging electric two-wheeler business. Bookings for the e-Luna will open on January 26 and sources tell our sister publication Autocar Professional that is likely to be formally launched in February in Delhi in the presence of Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
The e-Luna is most likely to be introduced with three battery packs – the first batch that will be thrown open for bookings will have a 2kWh battery pack that will give a range of 80km. The company is also looking to introduce a 1.5kWh battery pack for Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets for a 40-45km range, and a 3kWh battery pack, which will churn out a range of 100-125km, company officials informed.
Kinetic targets 5,000 e-Luna sales a month
The company management intends to target the Rs 25,000-30,000 monthly income group that uses public transportation, such as shared automobiles or local buses. When contacted, Sulajja Firodia Motwani – vice-chairperson of Kinetic Engineering Limited and founder and CEO of Kinetic Green Energy & Power Solutions Limited – confirmed the launch timeline.
While company officials have kept the price closely guarded and will be formally unveiled at the time of launch, Motwani told Autocar Professional that it will have an attractive EMI of Rs 2,500 per month, making it a preferred personal vehicle as well as a livelihood bike with a 150kg payload and a sturdy chassis that can withstand urban and semi-rural use.
Kinetic Green has benefited from the recent decline in component and battery prices and has encouraged the Pune-based maker to target 5,000 electric Lunas per month. The company hopes to rake in close to Rs 30 crore annually, crossing the lifetime monthly sales of its ICE predecessor, which in its prime sold close to 2,000 units a day and commanded a 95 percent market share of the moped market.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
