Team-BHP - YObykes electric scooters scale Ladakh

Electric scooters are usually something you’d associate with in city usage. Something to pick up the groceries or maybe drop your kid off to school on. However, dodging some of the most challenging terrains isn’t a task you’d associate with these battery powered mopeds. Two riders have done just that and scaled Khardung La.

Paras Loomba and his Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) teammate, Jaideep Bansal, achieved this feat on electric bikes called YObykes, sponsored by Electrotherm (India). At 18,380 ft, this was the world’s first journey on battery powered scooters to the highest known motorable road in the world. The feat was achieved in 4 hours and 12 minutes on 14 September, 2015 (including a 1 hour break for refreshments and proactive charging of the scooters).

The scooters used a 1.3 BHP motor and were customized for the Ladakhi terrain. They were used on a gradient averaging 4.6 degrees and above. The scooters, launched at the 2015 Ladakh Marathon, were charged with 100% renewable energy i.e. solar energy and hydroelectricity. The scooters covered a distance of over 80 kilometres with a one-time charge during the journey, by plugging them to batteries which were pre-charged using solar power.

The feat was carried out to promote clean energy based transport in the region. The two YObykes scooters will be used for test runs and promotions in the region and will be available for the locals in one month.