Team-BHP - Now, Exide enters India's EV market with a three-wheeler rickshaw named Neo

Every once in a while, an ugly ducking pops up, and it's not a bad move, per se. When a battery manufacturer sees the demand for it, why not jump the bandwagon. Basically, a trike with a cheap battery and motor. Greta Thunberg would be really proud lol:

Cheers!
VJ

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Originally Posted by VijayAnand1 (Post 4677102)

Snide remarks aside, even the photo opp looks sad. The dudes look pained to be standing next to that thing.

But let me also stick my neck out and say that there is potential - we all know how much these autorickshaws pollute the atmosphere. Let them at least do a clean job now and leave the polluting to the power stations. Greta Thunberg should be proud. LOL.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wheelguy (Post 4675948)

Interesting times ahead with big names like Exide stepping in to the EV space.

Forgive me for saying so but is there an unwritten rule(or a written one?) that EVs can potentially be made unsafe and can look :Frustrati

Someone's got to remind them that it's only the fuel component that's changing. No one said that they have to start "designing" a vehicle all over again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gauravanekar (Post 4676810)

The disdain shown by our members is uncalled for. The product and it's design is just right for the market it is being sold in. I am a bangalorean and recently I moved to Jaipur. It's here in Jaipur i could get a close look at these electric 3 wheelers, I feel that these 3 where drivers have perfectly married their 3 wheelers capabilities/drawbacks to their business model.
Without going into much details, I feel cost of purchase of these machines is one of the most crucial component in their equation. I feel exide has done the right thing.

For people from the south, please don't make the mistake of comparing these autos with the Bajaj REs or the TVS kings

I recently travelled in those autos in jaipur - the drivers told me that they were manufactured by local body shopping industries producing those autos and i found even those were better looking than the Exide auto. One would expect a company like Exide with its resources and expertise to come up with a design that can atleast appear on par if not superior to local manufacturers.

Great news for small city auto guys.
I have used these a plenty times in Amritsar and Jaipur. Stability, pickup are no problem on city roads. They were unbranded ones.
Smooth ride, less noise and air pollution.
I prefer these when in those cities, for I want e-auto walas to earn so they won't go back to petrol ones due to lack of business.
Also, to save the battery charge, they usually drive sensibly.

Less maintenance, less fuel cost, less downtime for the owners.

Better versions are most welcome, but cities like Mumbai need these, if they can climb the flyovers.
At least suburbs , eg Kalyan down, can use these.

Similar to how Airtel, Jio et all offer payments and wallets vs traditional banks, Exide I believe is really placed well to ride the EV wave at scale given existing customer outreach center's / dealers spread across the country. The job is made easier by a relatively less complex outer shell, design of which can outsourced.. the auto in itself seems like a half baked effort.. but with EV gaining traction, I totally expect non conventional players to gain popularity and some success.

This is good enough for use as a runabout in a large campus. Like transporting people from the office to the main gate etc. Also as an invalid carrier in a large bus station or railway station. Although they are better designed, we do see similar contraptions in airports, no?