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    TVS iQube Electric Scooter To Go On Sale At 1,000 Dealers By March 2022

    TVS iQube Electric ScooterThe upcoming new-gen EVs from TVS will be conceptualized in India with the aim of catering to demands of both domestic as well as international consumers
    With electric mobility gathering momentum in the country in the fast few months, especially in the two-wheeler space, focus has shifted to the new crop of EV manufacturing startups. However, established automakers are devising new strategies to overcome stiff competition from newbies in the Indian auto industry.
    Two-wheeler major TVS has announced that the company will be investing Rs 1,000 crore in building a new manufacturing facility dedicated to production of EVs. This proposed new factory will come within the existing Hosur premises of the company’s plant which builds both TVS and BMW models in India.
    More Details
    The recent development was confirmed by Sudarshan Venu, Joint Managing Director, TVS Motor Company in an interaction with Economic Times. The project is being helmed by Sudarshan in association with other board members like Ralf Speth, former CEO of Jaguar and current chairman of TVS Motor; and Kuok Meng Xiong. Sudarshan added that the company intends to scale up the TVS electric experience pan India.
    The report further mentions that the upcoming EV manufacturing plant will have an annual production capacity of 1 lakh units and will assemble both two-wheelers and three-wheelers. These models will feature battery packs in the range of 5-25kW capacity and should be ready to hit showrooms across the country within 24 months.
    TVS iQube
    The brand is looking to establish its presence across a wide range of EV segments such as commuter space, commuter space, last-mile market, high-performance sporty motorcycles, premium scooters and electric three-wheelers.
    New EVs Designed & Developed in India
    That said, TVS is not looking to ditch its petrol-driven models anytime soon. The company’s range of EVs will be retailed in parallel to the current petrol-powered models. The company’s new EV vertical already has 500-600 engineers working on various concepts to meet market requirements.
    The new range of EVs will be designed and developed in India within a global R&D environment that aims to cater to both domestic and international markets. TVS already has a dedicated facility for electric models which is scalable. In addition, the company is also developing integrated vehicle architecture with a critical backend manufacturing of batteries and other critical EV components.
    iQube Details
    The Hosur-based manufacturer currently has only EV offering in the two-wheeler space in the form iQube e-scooter. The scooter is presently available for retail in a limited number of places such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Pune and Coimbatore. However, by the end of the current fiscal year, it will be available for sale in 1,000 dealerships across major cities and towns in the country. iQube is currently priced at Rs 1.30 lakh (ex-showroom).
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    Okinawa Electric Scooters Gujarat Price List – Reduced By Up To Rs 38k

    Okinawa Electric Scooter – Praise Pro Price In GujaratOkinawa Autotech offers savings upto Rs.37,892 on Okinawa Praise Plus under the revised Gujarat EV Policy
    Okinawa Autotech is keen to cash in on the new Gujarat EV Policy as has been announced. As a member of Gujarat Energy Development Agency, Okinawa also looks forward to contributing towards the rapid EV adoption in the State, expand its customer base 3 fold and expand its dealerships by 50 percent by the end of this fiscal year.
    As against a current customer base of over 5,000 in the state of Gujarat, Okinawa wishes to take this count to 15,000 by 2022. With this target in place, Okinawa is working along with the Gujarat government which is planning at having two lakh EVs on state roads in the upcoming four years.
    Okinawa Electric Scooter Prices July 2021 – Gujarat
    The company presents three high speed scooters called the Okinawa Ridge+, Okinawa Praise Pro, and Okinawa iPraise+. These models now come in with savings ranging from Rs 26,947, to Rs 37,892 following the new order.
    The Okinawa Praise Pro which was earlier priced at Rs.84,795 came down to Rs 74,848 following the FAME II revisions. It is now reduced further by Rs 19,000 to Rs 57,848, thus relating to a total savings of Rs 26,947. Okinawa Ridge, earlier carried a price tag of Rs 69,000 with the current price at Rs 44,391 ex-s showroom Gujarat with total saving of Rs 24,609.
    Okinawa Electric Scooter – iPraise+ Price In Gujarat
    The top of the line Okinawa Praise Plus prices have been reduced from Rs 1,17,600 to Rs 79,708 with Gujarat Government incentive at Rs 20,000 to a new pricing of Rs 79,708. All prices are effective from 1st July 2021.
    Okinawa Electric Scooter – Ridge Plus Price In Gujarat
    Features, Power and Performance
    The Okinawa range offers smart features that include anti-theft sensor, side stand sensor and keyless entry. It also receives the “Find My Scooter” location tracker for added safety. Okinawa i-Praise scooter gets a 2.5Kw electric motor that makes 3.5 hp power and 40 Nm torque. It gets 3 ride modes of Eco, Sport and Turbo claiming a top speed of 75 km/h and a range of 160 Km range on a single charge. It gets its power via a removable 72 volt dual battery pack with charging facility in approximately 3 hours to fully charge.
    Every Okinawa product is fitted with a removable battery pack for more convenient charging either at the user’s home, office or at any other convenient location. The lithium ion batteries can be charged via a standard electric socket and is as easy as charging a mobile phone.
    Okinawa Electric Scooter Prices – Gujarat
    Okinawa further highlights that it has entered into association with several banks, NBFC, Fintech Co, Leasing and retail companies to simplify the process of buying for customers. Okinawa has also informed that it is in the process of investing Rs 150 crore to set up a new manufacturing facility in Rajasthan which will come up very close to the company’s existing plant. More

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    Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter Launched In Nagpur – Bookings Open

    Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter Nagpur Launch In Presence Of Nitin Gadkari. Image – KTM Khamla SquareNagpur becomes the 3rd city in India to get Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter – After Pune and Bangalore
    Bajaj Chetak electric scooter, launched in India more than 1.5 years ago, has been closed for bookings for most of the time. The retro classic electric scooter came in with much fanfare in Jan 2020. It was an immediate hit, receiving over 50,000 expression of interest and huge booking orders in first few weeks.
    Then came Covid-19 induced lockdown in March 2020. Production got affected as supply chain was down. Parts were not available. These issues resulted in Bajaj closing booking. Priority was to deliver the electric scooter to those who had already booked.
    Bajaj Chetak Electric Scoter – New Cities
    Until now, Bajaj Chetak was only on sale in Pune and Bangalore. Bajaj had plans to launch the scooter in many cities by end 2020, but Covid-19 has caused the delay. With life slowly getting back on track, or the world learns to survive with Covid-19, automakers are starting to execute their plans which were paused due to the pandemic.
    Bajaj Chetak has announced the launch of Chetak electric scooter in Nagpur. The launch event took in the presence of Hon. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari. He unveiled the Chetak Electric at KTM Khamla Square, Nagpur. Interestingly, it was Nitin Gadkari who unveiled the Chetak back in Jan 2020 in Delhi.
    Bajaj Chetak Electric Scooter Bookings Open In Nagpur
    The Bajaj Chetak, offered in Urbane and Premium variants was priced at Rs.1 lakh and Rs.1.15 lakhs respectively. But recently, its prices were hiked and is now available at a price of about Rs 1.43 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh respectively.
    The company is confident that despite a rather significant increase in price, demand will in no way be affected as the Chetak appeals to a more affluent segment of first time two wheeler buyers in the country. Bajaj will launch Chetak next in Aurangabad, Mysore, Mangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. By March 2022, the company plans to have its presence in 30 cities across India.
    Bajaj New Chakan Plant
    Bajaj is planning a new production facility in Chakan, near Pune. It is from here that the company plans to produce premium range of motorcycles from brands like KTM, Husqvarna and Triumph, as well as the Bajaj Chetak e-scooter. The company has signed an MoU with the Government of Maharashtra to set up this new facility into which the company will make investments of Rs. 650 crores.
    As per the terms of the agreement, the Government of Maharashtra will assist the bikemaker in procuring permissions, registrations, approvals, clearances, fiscal incentives, etc, from the concerned departments. It is from this new plant that KTM AG also plans to develop an electric scooter on the Chetak platform. More

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    Jawa Badged Bristol Veloce 500 Retro-Classic Scrambler Spied

    New Jawa 500cc Scrambler SpiedMysterious new motorcycle has been spied with Jawa badging – The original is a 471cc motorcycle from Bristol
    Jawa is actively working on several products including a Yezdi RoadKing revival, and is also gearing up to explore the higher echelons of the lucrative medium displacement world. Now, photos of new motorcycle have surfaced online. These are wearing Jawa badging. The motorcycle derives inspiration from Honda’s design language.
    There is a badging of ‘RVR500’ just below the fuel tank. Two colour options are seen. The green one has brown seat while the red one has black seat. The interesting wheels with conventional orientation of the spokes definitely stand out.
    Bristol Veloce 500
    Bristol Motorcycle
    The same motorcycles which have been spied with Jawa badge, are exactly same as Bristol Motorcycles – a Philippines based motorcycle manufacturer. It is sold as Bristol Veloce 500. It is priced at about PHP 348k, which is approx Rs 5.2 lakhs as per today’s conversion rates.
    Specifications
    Bristol Veloce 500 is equipped with a liquid-cooled, parallel twin-cylinder (as evident by the twin exhaust downtubes) 471cc engine. Power output is rated at 35 kW (47 hp) @ 8500 rpm and 43 Nm @ 6500 rpm. Transmission is taken care by a 6 speed gearbox.
    New Jawa 500cc Scrambler Spied
    Other highlights include upside-down telescopic front forks, twin-exhaust canisters, monoshock rear suspension, and a single rear disc brake. It is equipped with a fully digital instrument console and dual-channel ABS. The meaty tyres with pronounced buttons give the motorcycle a mild scrambler appeal.
    Bristol Veloce 500
    Dimensions
    Bristol Veloce 500 is 2156mm long, 850mm wide and 1177mm tall. It has a wheelbase of 1460mm and a seat height of 760mm. Kerb weight is at 173 Kgs, while ground clearance is at 190mm. Front Tyre size is 110/80-18 while at the rear is 160/60-17. Full specs can be seen in the table below.
    Is it coming to India?
    Nothing much is known about this motorcycle with Jawa branding and its India launch. It is likely that Jawa brand has partnered with some other company to rebadge the Bristol Veloce 500 and sell it in a select country.
    New Jawa 500cc Scrambler Spied
    For now, Jawa is busy establishing itself in India as well as Europe. Exports of their existing range of motorcycles started a few months ago. The company is also reportedly working on a pure electric motorcycle as well as revival of BSA brand for the UK market.
    With an established dealership network across the country, expanding its portfolio to cover a wider range of audience is the logic way forward for Classic Legends. Will the 500cc Jawa scrambler come to India, only time will tell. More

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    Ola Electric Scooter Spied In Pink, Blue Colours For 1st Time – Range Details Leak

    Ola Electric Scooter in Pink and BlueThe yet unnamed Ola electric scooter will receive best-in-segment under seat storage space, category-leading long range charge and keyless, app-based access
    We have long been talking about the new Ola electric scooter that is now getting ready for launch. Test mules under heavy camouflage have been doing the rounds since the start of this year. Ola has revealed their electric scooter for India in its production ready guise already.
    More recently, Bhavish Aggarwal, OLA Group CEO and Chairman, has tweeted on the upcoming Ola electric scooter. He has offered insights into its onboard features, some of which are said to be best in class with under-seat storage space as reports claims to offer 50 liters of storage space. Other exclusive features will also include keyless, app-based access along with category leading long range charge.
    Features that the new Ola e-scooter will also get could include a digital instrument cluster, cloud connectivity, alloy wheels, a removable lithium battery pack and telescopic suspension. The company’s advertising team had also released some ‘crazy ads’ and Aggarwal’s tweet also indicated that anyone with ideas on marketing could get in touch with the company or re-tweet.
    New Colours
    Ola Electric scooter has already been revealed in black and white colour options via studio images. Just recently, Ola CEO had asked on twitter what colour options should the Ola electric scooter be offered with. Now, thanks to anonymous automotive enthusiast, the upcoming Ola Electric scooter is seen in Blue and Pink colour options.
    Ola Electric Scooter – New Colours
    Starting today, consumers can book their Ola Scooter on olaelectric(dot)com by paying a refundable deposit of Rs 499. OLA CEO announced on twitter – “India’s EV revolution begins today! Bookings now open for the Ola Scooter! India has the potential to become the world leader in EVs and we’re proud to lead this charge!” Those who book now will get priority delivery.
    Ola Electric Scooter – New Colours
    Ola Plant with Industry 4.0 norms
    Ola Electric is currently working on setting up a state of the art production unit and has also entered into an agreement with Siemens for the plant in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, at an investment of Rs.2,400 crores. The facility will have full capacity of 10 million units per annum making it the world’s largest two-wheeler factory.
    The Ola Tamil Nadu plant will help to generate around 10,000 employment opportunities and will comply with Industry 4.0 norms. Besides catering to the demands in Indian markets will also focus on exports to countries of Europe, Asia and Latin America.
    Ola Electric Scooter Range – 122 kms with 87% charge
    Class-Leading Speed, Performance and Range
    The Ola electric scooter will be launched in India sometime in the coming weeks. As per the leaked spy shot, the console shows there is 87% charge remaining and 122 kms range. At the same rate, a 100% batter should deliver range of 140-150 kms. Ola is yet to reveal official range of their electric scooter.
    Acceleration from 0 to 45 km/h will be achieved in 3.9 seconds while top speed will be at above 80 km/h. The Ola e-scooter could be priced in around Rs 1 lakh and will rival the likes of the Ather 450X, Bajaj e-Chetak, TVS iQube and other e-scooters also set for launch in our markets in the near future. More

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    New 2022 F1 Car Promises Better Aerodynamics, Closer Racing

    F1 is introducing new aerodynamic regulations for 2022, with the aim of reducing the “dirty air” produced by the current cars which makes passing difficult.The new F1 car features a simpler front wing and a rear wing designed to push the aerodynamic wake up and over the car following behind.For the first time since the 1980s, F1 cars will use ground effects to generate downforce, with the 2022 cars featuring deep tunnels in the floor to suck the car to the track.The increasing complexity of Formula 1 cars’ aerodynamic add-ons have negatively impact the quality of racing recently. All of the intricate winglets poking out of the bodywork creates a stream of “dirty air” coming off of the car, causing cars behind to lose downforce—making it harder to execute a pass. For the 2022 season F1 is introducing new aerodynamic regulations with the goal of reducing this dirty air, and the series has now presented a life-size model of what the next generation of F1 cars will look like.

    Formula 1

    F1 says that the current cars lose 35 percent of their downforce when they are around three car lengths behind another car, with the loss increasing to 47 percent when they are about one car length behind. The new rules promise to lessen those downforce losses to 4 percent and 18 percent. A redesigned front wing is simpler than before and has wing flaps that now stretch all the way to the nose. This eliminates the inner wingtips found on the current cars, which created a vortex that produced much of the “dirty” aerodynamic wake. Another big change comes underneath the car. While current F1 cars have a fairly flat floor with a stepped design, the 2022 version will feature deep underfloor tunnels to produce downforce through a ground effect, because simpler wings will yield less downforce. This is said to allow for sleeker bodywork, create less dirty air, and be less impacted by the dirty air when following another car. The bargeboards protruding from the floors of the current cars have also been scrapped.

    Formula 1

    The new 18-inch wheels with low-profile tires are strikingly different, as the current cars use 13-inch wheels. F1 is also reintroducing wheel covers and adding small winglets over the wheels to control airflow; the 2022 regulations aim to steer the wake tightly along the sides of the car, rather than forcing it outwards as the current front-end design does. The rear wing also gets an overhaul, with rounded edges compared to the boxy wings on the 2021 cars. This new design is meant to direct the aerodynamic wake coming off the back of a car upward and over any following cars so that drivers have less disturbed air to contend with when setting up a pass.

    The 2022 cars will be about 5 percent heavier than the current models thanks to the larger wheels, redesigned tires, and increased safety regulations. The design revealed by F1 today is just a template, of course, with teams free to come up with their own solutions within the letter of the law. But the new design looks promising and will hopefully create closer racing next season.
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    937-HP Aston Martin Valhalla Has an AMG Engine and a Bargain $800,000 Price

    The Aston Martin Valhalla started out quite different from the car we see here today, in part because of company changes including the arrival of former AMG head Tobias Moers as Aston’s new CEO.Instead of the expected V-6, the mid-engine Valhalla will get a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 sourced from AMG.The first customers should get the Valhalla in late 2023, and they’ll pay around $800,000 for it, which is much less than the seven-figure prices that were expected when the car was first discussed.Aston Martin first confirmed it was planning to produce two other mid-engine supercars to follow the Adrian Newey–designed Valkyrie back in 2019, releasing rendered images of what would become known as the Valhalla at the same point. But the change in the company’s senior management last year, when a consortium led by Lawrence Stroll took control of the English company and former AMG boss Tobias Moers arrived as CEO, has led to a bold new direction for the car.

    The Valhalla name remains, and some of the original design concept lives on, but almost everything else has changed. Red Bull Racing’s connection with the car has been unsurprisingly broken now that Aston has its own Formula 1 team, and the Valhalla will now use an AMG-sourced V-8 in place of the hybridized V-6 engine that Aston had previously committed to building itself. It will also be a plug-in hybrid with an electrically powered front axle, production won’t be limited to 500 cars, and the outline pricing has fallen considerably from the $1.3 million we were originally told to expect.

    Aston Martin

    Back in May, Moers told Car and Driver that work on the new V-6 had barely started when he arrived at Aston, making the swap to AMG power an obvious decision. We are told that the mid-mounted 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 will be based on the flat-plane-crank engine produced for the AMG GT Black Series and will be capable of revving to 7200 rpm and of making 740 horsepower. Company insiders have also indicated that engines will be hand-built from AMG-supplied components in the U.K.The V-8 will send drive to the rear axle through a new eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox from Italian supplier Graziano. It will be supplemented by two electric motors, one powering the front axle and the other blending assistance with the combustion engine at the rear through the transmission. Together Aston says these can add up to 200 horsepower, making for a peak combined output of 937 horsepower. The company is promising a 2.5-second zero-to-62-mph time and a 217-mph top speed and says the car is on track to deliver a 6:30 lap time of the 12.9-mile Nürburgring Nordschleife. (The current production-car record there is the 6:43.3 recently set by the Porsche 911 GT2 RS.)

    Aston Martin

    The new gearbox will also use an electric reverse and incorporate an electronically controlled limited-slip differential at the rear axle. While the full battery specs haven’t been released yet, it appears to be same actively cooled 400-volt, 6.1-kWh unit that AMG has developed for the next-generation four cylinder C63 (a project that Moers led while at Daimler).Like the Ferrari SF90 Stradale, the Valhalla will be able to operate in pure electric mode, although only for short distances and with drive delivered exclusively through the front axle. This EV mode will have a top speed of 80 mph and a range of around nine miles under the EU’s WLTP testing protocol. The car will also support recharge speeds of up to 150 kW.The Valhalla’s structure is based around a central carbon-fiber tub with subframes for suspension and engine mounted to this. Aston says it is targeting a dry weight of less than 3418 pounds. The front suspension uses pushrods, and the rear axle has a multi-link design. Adaptive dampers and two-stage springs from Canadian supplier Multimatic will allow an ultra-low track mode to help increase downforce; the combination of active elements at the front, the huge adjustable rear wing, and the underbody Venturi tunnels will allow the Valhalla to produce up to 1322 pounds of this. The roof “snorkel” incorporates separate intakes, the one in the center feeds the engine’s induction system, those on either side channel cooling air. Carbon-ceramic brakes will be standard and will work with an e-booster. Aston also confirms the Valhalla will use electric power steering and it will also get a suite of active safety systems including adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. It will also get conventional side mirrors, supplemented by a camera-based rearview screen in the cockpit; it would be impossible to see through the carbon-fiber engine cover with its twin upturned exhausts. The interior will feature fixed seats with a movable pedal box, Aston’s forthcoming new UI system—the first to support a touchscreen interface—and the all-important supercar dihedral doors.Pricing hasn’t been finalized, but we’re told to expect it will be somewhere around the $800,000 mark, with the first customer deliveries due in the second half of 2023. That’s a huge amount of money, but a substantial saving from the seven-figure price that the Valhalla was originally proposed to have. Which must mean it qualifies as a bargain.

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    Ola Electric Scooter Bookings Open At Rs 499 – Pink, Blue Colours Spied

    Ola Electric Scooter – New ColoursThe yet unnamed Ola electric scooter will receive best-in-segment under seat storage space, category-leading long range charge and keyless, app-based access
    We have long been talking about the new Ola electric scooter that is now getting ready for launch. Test mules under heavy camouflage have been doing the rounds since the start of this year. Ola has revealed their electric scooter for India in its production ready guise already.
    More recently, Bhavish Aggarwal, OLA Group CEO and Chairman, has tweeted on the upcoming Ola electric scooter. He has offered insights into its onboard features, some of which are said to be best in class with under-seat storage space as reports claims to offer 50 liters of storage space. Other exclusive features will also include keyless, app-based access along with category leading long range charge.
    Features that the new Ola e-scooter will also get could include a digital instrument cluster, cloud connectivity, alloy wheels, a removable lithium battery pack and telescopic suspension. The company’s advertising team had also released some ‘crazy ads’ and Aggarwal’s tweet also indicated that anyone with ideas on marketing could get in touch with the company or re-tweet.
    New Colours
    Ola Electric scooter has already been revealed in black and white colour options via studio images. Just recently, Ola CEO had asked on twitter what colour options should the Ola electric scooter be offered with. Now, thanks to anonymous automotive enthusiast, the upcoming Ola Electric scooter is seen in Blue and Pink colour options.
    Ola Electric Scooter – New Colours
    Starting today, consumers can book their Ola Scooter on olaelectric(dot)com by paying a refundable deposit of Rs 499. OLA CEO announced on twitter – “India’s EV revolution begins today! Bookings now open for the Ola Scooter! India has the potential to become the world leader in EVs and we’re proud to lead this charge!” Those who book now will get priority delivery.
    Ola Electric Scooter Range – 122 kms with 87% charge
    Ola Plant with Industry 4.0 norms
    Ola Electric is currently working on setting up a state of the art production unit and has also entered into an agreement with Siemens for the plant in Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu, at an investment of Rs.2,400 crores. The facility will have full capacity of 10 million units per annum making it the world’s largest two-wheeler factory.
    The Ola Tamil Nadu plant will help to generate around 10,000 employment opportunities and will comply with Industry 4.0 norms. Besides catering to the demands in Indian markets will also focus on exports to countries of Europe, Asia and Latin America.
    Ola Electric Scooter – New Colours
    Class-Leading Speed, Performance and Range
    The Ola electric scooter to be launched in India sometime in second half of 2021, will have a maximum range of 240 kms per single charge. Acceleration from 0 to 45 km/h will be achieved in 3.9 seconds while top speed will be at above 80 km/h. The Ola e-scooter could be priced in around Rs 1 lakh and will rival the likes of the Ather 450X, Bajaj e-Chetak, TVS iQube and other e-scooters also set for launch in our markets in the near future. More