No battery, no need to charge! India's First Batteryless E-Scooter
Bounce Infinity E1, E Scooter
Earlier this month, Bengaluru-based electric mobility startup , 'Bounce' launched its first electric scooter, 'Bounce Infinity E1'. This is the first e-scooter in India, which is coming without a battery and it does not even need to be charged. Bounce has introduced this e-scooter with 'Battery as a Service' option.
It can be purchased for $789 (Delhi ex-showroom). Customers can pre-book it by making an initial payment of only $8 (fully refundable). The deliveries are expected to happen by the end of March next through the dealership network and its online platform.
What is 'Battery as a Service' ?
What is the 'Battery as a Service' option? We spoke to Vivekananda Halkere, CEO and Co-Founder of Bounce, to understand this unique feature.
Vivekananda said, “The recently launched Bounce Infinity E1, the first of its kind e-scooter in the Indian market, comes with the option of ‘Battery as a Service’. Customers will not need to worry about the charging of this scooter without battery. For this, the company is providing the facility of battery swapping on its behalf. Whenever the customer swaps an empty battery with a fully charged battery from Bounce's swapping network, he will have to pay. This reduces the cost by up to 40 per cent as compared to conventional petrol scooters.”
The startup claims to have close to 200 stations connected to its battery-swapping station network in major Indian cities such as Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru . Also, they have completed the journey of more than 20 million kilometers by doing more than 5 lakh battery swaps so far.
According to Vivekananda, “Bounce is set to invest over USD 100 million in the coming 12 months to manufacture e-scooters and expand battery swapping infrastructure. We are building an extensive battery-swapping network with key partners. This will work for both the retail customer and its successful ride-sharing business.”
Expansion of battery swapping infrastructure
During the launch of the Bounce Infinity E1
During the launch of the Bounce Infinity E1
Vivekananda said, “Our aim is to cooperate in keeping India’s environment clean and create the world’s largest and most comprehensive ‘Battery Swapping Platform’. So that we can provide a swapping facility for every kilometer for our customers.”
The startup has partnered with brands like NoBroker, Park+, Readysist, Helloworld, Kitchen@, Goodbox etc. The startup aims to set up more than 3,500 battery swapping stations in 10 cities to strengthen the 'electric mobility ecosystem' across the country.
“These ‘smart battery swapping stations’ will be located in the vicinity of the customer, such as residential societies, parking, malls, corporate offices, etc. Customers can easily find their nearest station with the help of Bounce app. The best part of the 'Battery as a Service' option is that anyone can partner with us and participate in battery swapping.”
He says, “In a small store or from your home, you can get involved with this business by keeping some batteries. Even if you don't want to have a battery, you can just invest in it. A fixed return will be given on the investment you make. We call it 'Bounce Power', which will strengthen the common man to ensure his participation in maintaining a clean environment."
What are the other features of Bounce Infinity E1?
If you want, you can also buy Bounce Infinity E1 with battery. You can remove the battery from the scooter. If you want, you can charge it at your home or office, wherever convenient. The price of this scooter with battery and charger is $705 (ex-showroom). The Infinity E1 2kWh gets a removable lithium-ion battery pack, which can last up to 85 kms on a single charge. This battery takes around 4 to 5 hours to get fully charged using any regular power socket.
The Bounce Infinity E1 offers a top speed of 65 kmph, 0-40 kmph in 8 seconds and a torque output of 83 Nm. Customers can ride this e-scooter in two riding modes – Power and Eco mode.
It is built on a tubular frame and features hydraulic telescopic front suspension and two shock absorbers at the rear. Apart from this, it comes with disc brakes at both the ends with electronic braking system and also features regenerative braking technology. The e-scooter also comes with a warranty of up to 50,000 km for 3 years.
Why invest in EV only?
Swapping the old battery instead of charging
Battery swapping at Bounce station
Bounce started working on EVs and its swapping network towards the end of 2019. First he worked with a contract manufacturer and together made a model. This model is included in their fleet. Subsequently, in early 2021, Bounce acquired an EV OEM company and began preparations for the Bounce Infinity E1 launch by December.
Vivekananda explains, “We realized that it is only car manufacturers like us who have to take the initiative in this area. With this, we can take advantage of the better economy in EVs and at the same time build infrastructure and take it to the consumers. Bounce wanted to turn to EVs to run its mobility business and for profit. The concern and downtime associated with a fixed battery (charging) was not appropriate for a fleet operator like us.”
Therefore, Bounce, along with the in-house vehicle engineering team, invested heavily in R&D to modify some of the existing models and worked on the removable battery and swapping network, to design and develop a new model from the beginning. After investing in the appropriate form factor for India and designing accordingly, it was built for the customers looking for the best EV in the market.
Charging has always been a big problem
Vivekananda said, “We started with a small project to manufacture electric scooters according to India and this journey has brought us here. We have covered over 20 million kms at the battery swapping station with a small battery store. The company firmly believes that India is at the beginning of the EV revolution and Bounce is ready to take on all challenges to put India on the world map of electric mobility adopters.”
Most of the two wheeler owners in India do not have their own parking space and those who do have it, there is no charging facility. Lack of adequate two-wheeler charging facility has been the biggest hurdle in EV adoption in India.
Vivekananda says, “The Infinity E1 is the first and only scooter in India to offer charge-at-home as well as battery swapping from the Bounce network. This not only solves the charging problem, but also reduces the need to invest money in the battery. The customer has to pay a charge every time the battery is swapped. This significantly reduces the running cost of the scooter.
Key Features of Bounce Infinity E1
Vivekananda spoke about some of the salient features of the Infinity E1:
Remote Application: This allows the battery charge status to be tracked.
Drag Mode: This mode helps the scooter to move slowly in case of puncture.
Reverse Mode: Through this mode, the scooter can also be steered backwards for ease of exit from tight parking spaces.
Cruise Control: This feature helps to keep the scooter at a steady speed, irrespective of the terrain and terrain.
Anti Theft: This special feature of Infinity E1 can protect it from theft. If the scooter is being tampered with after parked, the scooter will sense it and then jam its rear wheels.
Tow Alert: If your Infinity E1 is being towed, it will alert you immediately. You can also track it from the notifications received on the app.
Unlike other EV makers, Bounce has not only launched an e-vehicle but is also creating a complete eco-system with it. Whether it succeeds or not, only time will tell. But their efforts cannot be underestimated by any perspective.