TVS Motor Company is working on electric and hybrid scooters that will feature a solar roof, says a new report from BikeWale.
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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).
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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 12 kW (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.
[Source: bikewale.com]
