Bengaluru-based last-mile mobility solutions company, Bounce, is all set to introduce its first-ever electric scooter in India. The scooter will be manufactured in the country and will be called Bounce Infinity. The company has promised that the scooter will be equipped with “enhanced state-of-the-art equipment and intelligent features.” Prebookings for the vehicle will be starting soon, with deliveries starting from January 2022.
The most unique bit of the Bounce Infinity
is that it will be coming with a removable Li-ion battery that can be removed
and charged per requirement. Bounce will even be offering a ‘Battery as a
service’ option, which it claims is the first of its kind in the Indian market.
Customers opting for this scheme will be
able to purchase the scooter at a relatively low price without the battery.
They’ll then be relying on Bounce’s battery swapping network instead. Stations
will be set up where owners will be able to simply grab a fully-charged battery
and skip the long wait times associated with charging. A battery alone
constitutes a large percentage of an EV’s cost, and that’s something that will
be subtracted through the ‘Battery as a service’ initiative.
Bounce says that it is rapidly developing
its battery-swapping network, which will serve not only its retail customer but
also its successful ride-sharing business. Its Infinity scooter will be facing
off against rivals like Ola’s S1 e-scooter in an EV market that’s getting
increasingly saturated. Lastly, Bounce has revealed that it has acquired a 100%
stake in 22Motors following a deal valued at about UD$ 7 million. As part of it,
the company acquired a manufacturing plant located at Bhiwadi in Rajasthan
along with its intellectual property. The plant is capable of mass production,
reaching up to 180,000 units. Bounce is also planning to set up another similar
plant in southern India and to invest US$ 100 million in its EV business over the
next year.
