Bounce is launching its own electric scooter in the Indian market, called Bounce-E, according to tweets by Vivekananda Hallekere, CEO and co-founder of the bike sharing company. Bounce, along with others like Yulu and Vogo, has grown quickly over the last few years, and like these companies, appears to be investing in an electric future. The Bounce-E scooter has a yellow and black finish, enough storage to keep two helmets in, and the best of all – it runs on a battery.
The company tweeted to announce the launch of its first self-assembled Bounce-E electric scooter, which can be rented using the Bounce app. The startup received its official certification from International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) for its self-assembled two-wheeler electric vehicles (EV) in September last 2020, and the company says it is the first consumer-focused bike-sharing platform to receive the same certification in India. Yulu Miracle – an electric bicycle from the company – is also ICAT certified. However, it falls under the category of bicycles and does not come under purview of the Motor Vehicles Act.
Hallekere, Bounce’s cofounder, tweeted that the e-bike is available for rent on demand via the Bounce app. The app is available on Google Play store and App Store. The bike rental platform is currently operational in Bangalore, Hubli, Vijayawada and Mysore cities only. Hallekere had mentioned that it was testing the Bounce-E in Mysore and Bangalore as well. While the EV is currently available for rentals, Hallekere had earlier said that the company aims to sell its electric vehicles to logistics and delivery companies across the globe. In another tweet hinting at its price, seems to suggest that the Bounce-E could be sold in India for Rs. 55,000. Users may also have to pay additional Rs. 1,450 per month for battery swapping and maintenance.
Based on the photo Hallekere tweeted, the Bounce-E bike has a yellow and black finish, and has enough storage for two helmets to fit in. In one of his tweets, Hallekere had said that the e-scooter can last for 65kms range per battery. He confirms that the Bounce electric scooter will integrate a battery swapping technology. “We have distributed infrastructure for battery swapping. Our battery swapping infra has crossed over 1,00,000 swaps so far,” he says.
We asked Hallekere about exact launch plans, key features of the bike, people behind developing the bike, and where the bikes were being manufactured and assembled. However, he refrained from giving any additional information.
In December, soon after it received ICAT certification for its electric vehicles, Bounce reportedly confirmed plans to transition to a 100 percent electric vehicle fleet by the Q3 2022. Hallekere had then revealed that all vehicles added to the platform after February 2020 have been electric. Until December 2020, the company had 6,000 scooters on its platform, and 50 percent of those were electric. It looked to add 4,000 more e-scooters by February 2021.
Earlier this month, Bounce announced that it has reached a significant milestone, crossing 5 million kilometres on its electric vehicle fleet within 15 months. This milestone was achieved with a wide network of Kirana owners, who have enabled over 1,00,000 battery swaps.
