By reviving one of its most iconic names, Kinetic Watts and Volts, the new EV subsidiary of Pune-based Kinetic Engineering Ltd, relaunched the Kinetic DX as an EV scooter.
Big plans for Kinetic
The company says it will be a top 3 player by 2028
The company has big plans for this new Kinetic electric scooter. “Our target is to be among the top 3 electric scooter players within the next 3 years. We are aiming for 1.50 lakh annual scooters by the third year,” Kinetic Engineering’s Vice Chairman & Managing Director Ajinkya Firodia told Autocar Professional.
It appears that Kinetic is betting big on this new product as Firodia said they will be focusing only on the Kinetic DX in the first three years. However, he did state that there will be more variants of the model in due course.
“We do not have plans to launch new models or a new segment in the first three years. Our entire focus will be on scaling the volume of Kinetic DX. But there will be new variants of DX, maybe more technologically advanced and a scaled-down version.”
The new Kinetic DX
New Kinetic uses an LFP battery
The Kinetic DX, which currently comes in two variants, is priced in the range of Rs 1.11 lakh to Rs 1.17 lakh. At this price, it will compete with Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube, Ather Ritza and 450s, and Hero MotoCorp’s Vida V2, most of which have lower priced versions that start at the Rs 1 lakh mark or even lower.
While sales of electric scooters are growing with consumer confidence and product offerings, there is a shift in market dynamics. Legacy ICE players don’t just participate in the EV space, but now actively lead it.
In June, TVS Motor topped the sales chart with 25,274 registrations, translating into a 24 percent market share. Bajaj Auto came in second with 23,004 units and 21.8 percent market share. In FY25, a total of 11.49 lakh electric two-wheelers were sold, with Ola Electric topping the sales with 3.44 lakh units. However Bajaj and TVS have taken over the top two spots in more recent months.
Distribution plans
The company plans 300 dealers in 3 years
With the first product out, the company now believes scaling its distribution network is the most crucial thing. Over the three years, it targets opening around 300 dealerships. “We already have 20 dealers signed up pre-launch, mostly in western India, and have plans to reach 150 dealers across 50–60 markets within the first year of launch,” Firodia said.
The expansion will begin with big cities like Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Surat and Raipur before entering smaller towns, which already account for nearly 50 percent of India’s EV sales. He noted that legacy OEMs have the edge over others because of their extensive dealer network. “That is what we are building now.”
Looking beyond the domestic market, Kinetic Watts and Volts sees potential in global markets including Africa, UAE, Vietnam and Europe, but the plan is to focus more on the domestic market before starting exports.
Banking on synergies
The Kinetic Group will provide support
On the supply chain and scaling up front, Kinetic Watts and Volts will rely heavily on the synergies within the Kinetic Group - one of India’s oldest automotive component and vehicle manufacturing companies. Five main components – the controller, motor, battery, chassis, and sheet metal – are being manufactured within the Kinetic group.
Kinetic Communication will handle the controller and motor, a battery plant has been established under Kinetic Engineering’s Vangex brand, and Kinetic Engineering will also produce the chassis and sheet metal components. When it comes to manufacturing, Kinetic Watts and Volts will use the facility owned by Kinetic Engineering in Ahilya Nagar, Maharashtra.
The factory was earlier used to manufacture the Luna, and was later converted to make two major auto components. “Kinetic Watts and Volts took a portion of this facility, modernized it completely and set up the assembly line. It is a full-fledged assembly line now,” Firodia said.
The facility can manufacture 6,000 electric vehicle units per month in a single shift, which is scalable up to 12,000 units across multiple shifts. Firodia noted that the company plans to fully utilize the facility over the next three years to hit its target of 1.5 lakh units.
Kinetic Engineering has already invested Rs 80 crore in Kinetic Watts and Volts and plans to invest another Rs 177 crores. The investment will primarily be used for working capital requirements and marketing initiatives.
Another company under the Firodia family - Kinetic Green Energy and Power Solutions – is also in the business of selling and manufacturing electric two-wheelers. This company, under the leadership of Sulajja Firodia, makes the reborn e-Luna, as well as electric three-wheelers and golf carts.
Hormazd Sorabjee
Sahil Kukreja
