EKA Mobility Targets 2,500 Electric Autorickshaw Sales in Telangana in First Year
Hyderabad, Oct 14 (TNT): Pune-based electric commercial vehicle manufacturer EKA Mobility on Monday night launched its EKA AVI 3S electric autorickshaw in Hyderabad, marking its entry into the South Indian electric three-wheeler market, with a target of selling 2,500 units in Telangana in the first year.
The launch, through the company’s authorised Telangana dealer, SKED Rides Pvt. Ltd., is aimed at tapping Hyderabad’s passenger transport market amid growing demand for cost-efficient electric commercial vehicles.
The EKA AVI 3S features AC-DC charging capability, allowing users to charge the vehicle through a regular 16-amp household power socket or use DC fast charging.
According to the company, the technology can reduce charging time from approximately four hours to two hours.
The vehicle is equipped with a 10.7 kWh battery and offers an approximate on-road range of 200 km on a single charge.
It comes with a battery warranty of six years or 1,80,000 km and is priced at Rs. 3.85 lakh on-road.
The company said the charging flexibility, range and extended battery warranty were intended to improve vehicle utilisation and address concerns among commercial operators over battery reliability, vehicle availability and operating costs.
EKA Mobility estimates that Telangana has the potential to absorb around 1,400 electric three-wheelers a month, including approximately 900 units in Hyderabad.
If demand remains consistent, this would translate into an estimated annual market of 16,800 units across the state, of which 10,800 would be in Hyderabad.
The company also estimates that nearly 2.5 lakh petrol and electric autorickshaws operate on Hyderabad’s roads, offering scope for vehicle replacement and electrification. However, the pace of adoption will depend on factors such as vehicle economics, financing, charging infrastructure, driver acceptance and after-sales support.
According to estimates cited by the company, India’s electric autorickshaw market accounts for around 18,000 vehicles a month, with an estimated monthly market value of Rs. 800 crore.
The segment is projected to grow at an annual rate of 25-30 per cent.
Speaking at the launch, EKA Mobility Regional Managers Kamesh Arumugam and Hari Prasad said the Hyderabad launch marked the company’s entry into the South Indian market. The company plans to expand into other cities in the region in the coming months.
EKA Mobility has an annual manufacturing capacity of 10,000 electric autorickshaws to support its expansion plans, he said that its immediate focus in Telangana would be to build market presence among commercial passenger transport operators.
The launch was attended by transport entrepreneur Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, his son and SKED Rides Managing Director Prithvi Reddy, SKED Rides Executive Directors Manoj Kothari and Rajender Kothari, and Telangana Automobiles Financiers Association President Ugamraj Nahar.
EKA Mobility said it had an order book of more than 10,000 electric buses from government customers across India including 915 buses from Telangana, 750 from Andhra Pradesh and 2,430 from Karnataka.
The company manufactures electric buses, trucks and small commercial vehicles for passenger transportation, cargo movement and last-mile delivery.
Alongside the vehicle rollout, EKA Mobility plans to introduce training initiatives for autorickshaw drivers covering driving etiquette, mobile phone etiquette, basic vehicle repairs, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and essential communication skills.
The initiatives are intended to improve passenger experience and road safety while enhancing the public image of autorickshaw drivers.
TNT TS
