TVS Motor Company is working on electric and hybrid
scooters that will feature a solar roof, says a new report from BikeWale. BikeWale has published an image
of a TVS scooter that is equipped with a roof. Apart from providing some solace
against the sun and rain, the roof will house a solar panel that will charge
the battery. The battery will then power the motor that will propel the scooter
and improve its range. Of course, there will be a charging port to fill up the
battery conventionally, using a charger.
The rider will get windblast protection with the
windscreen, while the backrest and the headrest will enhance the pillion
comfort. Split-style pillion grab rails are also visible in the image. The
source report claims that the new-age scooters will be available for personal
and commercial use. The roof will be made from a lightweight material, while
the solar panel design is yet to be finalised.
The solar panel-equipped electric and hybrid
scooters, as mentioned in the source report, will likely start arriving by
2022. These products could be shown in concept form at 2020 Auto Expo to gauge
the market response. The solar-powered scooter will be exported to other
markets.
K. N. Radhakrishnan, President, CEO & Additional
Whole-Time Director, TVS Motor Company, had stated in the Full Year 2019
Earnings Conference Call earlier this month that the first the company's
electric product from the Hosur-based two-wheeler brand should arrive in the
current financial year (FY2019-20).
The first electric vehicle from TVS is expected to
be the production version of the Creon concept featuring several smart
connected technologies co-developed with Intel. The concept packed three
Lithium-ion batteries to power a 16.32 PS motor. The claimed 0-60 km/h
acceleration time was 5.1 seconds. These numbers are not likely to be
drastically different in the production model.
