Cheaper electric scooter engines soon

The United States-based embedded systems major, TriozTech, in collaboration with the Kongu Engineering College of Perundurai, Erode distict (Tamil Nadu), is developing the engine control systems for electric scooters.

With the cost of ECS in international market being prohibitively high at around $900 (Rs 44,000), the indigenously developed system would bring down the cost by 50 per cent, Madan A Sendhil, vice-president (international operations), TriozTech, told reporters in Coimbatore on Monday.

The prototype of the system would be developed within nine months and the product was expected to launch in the commercial market within one year or 15 months, Madan said.

The electric scooter technology was centered on a microprocessor embedded ECS and the high cost was due to the high technology-royalty involved in the ECS, he said.

The Rs 1 crore (Rs 10 million) project, including research and development, would be conducted at the technology business incubator - of the college - set up in association with the department of science and technology, Venkateswaran, college secretary, said.

Though there was zero market for electric scooters in India, the manufacturers would come forward to produce such vehicles once the product entered the market, bringing down the vehicle cost, Madan claimed.    

The scooter would become a very attractive proposition for the Indian market, since fuel cost was a meagre Rs 2 for a 50 km ride, he said.