While it couldn’t gain traction in ICE two-wheeler segment, the EV space presents entirely new possibilities for Mahindra
A lot has been happening in electric two-wheeler segment, characterized by new product launches, booming sales and plethora of brands to choose from. Recently, India’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp marked its entry in this space with Vida electric scooter. Next on the list could be Mahindra that could start its innings with Peugeot Kisbee electric scooter.
In international markets such as Europe, Peugeot Kisbee is a 50cc petrol powered scooter. Peugeot offers various other 50cc scooters in Europe such as Django, Tweet, Speedfight and Streetzone. In India, both the ICE version and electric version of Kisbee have been spotted on road tests. Peugeot could be working on a strategy similar to Suzuki that is expected to launch an electric scooter based on its popular Burgman Street 125cc scooter.
Mahindra Electric Scooter Spied
Currently, Peugeot does not sell an EV version of Kisbee in international markets. In EV space, Peugeot only has E-Ludix electric scooter. ICE-based Kisbee is powered by a 49.9 cc motor that generates 3.53 hp of peak power at 7,700 rpm and 3.2 Nm of max torque at 7,300 rpm. In Indian context, both petrol powered Kisbee and Kisbee electric scooter will have a unique value proposition.
Peugeot Kisbee electric scooter was seen alongside Bounce Infinity E1 and Ather 450X. This is part of a benchmarking exercise. It is likely that Kisbee electric scooter is being assessed against one of the most affordable and one of the premium electric scooters in the country.
In terms of performance, Mahindra Electric Scooter Spied Kisbee EV is likely to have capabilities similar to Bounce Infinity E1. As Peugeot Kisbee is likely to be positioned as a premium offering, it could have hi-tech features similar to that of Ather 450X.
As Peugeot already has E-Ludix in international markets, some of its features and hardware could be used for Kisbee electric scooter. E-Ludix has a 1.6 kWh, 48V lithium-ion removable battery pack. Range is 42 km and top speed is 45 kmph. The scooter has tubular steel chassis, mounted on a telescopic front fork and hydraulic rear shock absorber. Both ends have 14-inch wheels. The scooter is offered with front disc and rear drum brakes.
Mahindra-Peugeot connect
It is to note that Mahindra had acquired a controlling 51% stake in Peugeot Motorcycles in January 2015. The deal was valued at 28 million Euros. As part of that engagement, Peugeot was working on some concepts based on Mahindra Mojo 300’s engines. These were showcased at 2019 EICMA. It is likely that further progress on these projects was halted due to the pandemic.
With fuel prices at an all-time high, both ICE-based Kisbee and its EV version could get the customers’ attention. If Mahindra can arrive at a competitive price point, there’s likely to be significant demand for both ICE-based Kisbee and its EV version. These could be sold via existing Mojo dealerships or entirely new outlets could be opened.
Image Source
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
