Okinawa

Okinawa Electric Scooters: A Bumpy Ride in Okinawa in Feb 2023, Praise Pro Top Performer Despite Feb 2023 Sales Drop YoYOkinawa Praise Electric ScooterOkinawa witnessed YoY decline in sales in February 2023. Total sales for February 2023 were 6,726 units, which is a decrease of 32.11 percent from the 9,907 units sold in February 2022. However, on a MoM basis, total sales for February 2023 increased by 12.47 percent from January 2023.Okinawa Electric Sales Feb 2023 BreakupYoY decline was primarily led by the IPraise model, which saw sales decline of 74.18 percent. Praise Pro model, which holds the highest market share at 69.19 percent, also saw a decline in sales of 19.90 percent YoY. In MoM sales, R-30 model witnessed the highest MoM growth at 420.96 percent. Followed by the Lite model at 111.90 percent. Praise Pro model, despite seeing a decline in sales MoM, still holds the highest market share at 77.83 percent.Okinawa Electric Sales Feb 2023Okinawa’s New Colour Options: Express Your Style with Electric Green, Mocha Brown, and MoreOverall, Okinawa witnessed a decline in sales YoY but an improvement in sales MoM. The brand may need to focus on reviving the sales of its IPraise and Praise Pro models to strengthen its electric scooter market position. The manufacturer has introduced eight new colours to their Praise platform. They are Electric Green, Military Green, Seafoam Green, Ocean Blue, Liquid Metal, Mauve Purple, Mocha Brown, and Sun Orange.With the new colour options, riders can express their individuality and personal style. Okinawa Praise Pro electric scooter showcases the manufacturer’s design and technology prowess. Praise Pro features a powerful battery that can be fully charged in just 3-4 hours. It has a top speed of 56 km/hr.Okinawa Praise New Colours – A Rainbow of choicesSafety Features of Okinawa’s Electric Scooters: E-ABS, Anti-Theft Alarm, and MorePraise Pro also boasts several cutting-edge safety features, including an Electronic Assisted Braking System (E-ABS) and a central locking system with an anti-theft alarm. Additionally, riders will appreciate the convenience of the Locate My Scooter function and the USB charging port for mobile devices. Praise Pro even has a walk assistance feature for those times when you need to push your scooter.Okinawa Sales Breakup Feb 2023iPraise Plus is a modern electric scooter designed to offer both aesthetics and functionality. It comes with an impressive range of 137 km on a single charge, making it great for daily commuting needs. Eco App integration ensures that riders can keep track of their scooter’s performance and battery life.Okinawa 250,000th Unit: A Praise Pro Model MilestoneOkinawa Autotech, a longstanding prominent player in the electric mobility sector in India, has contributed immensely to the industry’s growth. Recently, the company achieved a significant milestone by producing its 250,000th unit, a Praise Pro model, from its Rajasthan manufacturing plant. The manufacturer sells electric two-wheelers in the AE1 segment for up to 250W e2Ws, and in the AE2 segment for 250W+ e2Ws.  More

The milestone model was none other than the Praise Pro e-scooter that rolled off production lines at the company’s manufacturing facility in RajasthanOkinawa electric scooter production milestone – 2.5 lakhOkinawa Autotech, a leading electric two wheeler maker in India, has achieved a major sales milestone. The company rolled off its 250,000th unit, Praise Pro off production lines from its plant in Rajasthan. This milestone production figure has been achieved 8 years after the company commenced operations in India in 2015 while it entered markets in 2017.Okinawa Autotech Over the YearsHaving commenced operations in 2015, the company introduced the Okinawa Ridge in 2017 followed by the Okinawa Praise. In 2019, Okinawa Autotech became the first OEM to secure Fame II subsidy from the Government of India and expanded its range of electric two wheelers to include the iPraise+, PraisePro, Lite and R30.Okinawa Autotech journey over the yearsOkinawa later introduced India’s first customizable B2B electric two-wheeler called the Okinawa Dual in 2020. It reached a sales milestone of 1 lakh units in 2021 and in the same year opened its Okinawa Galaxy Stores. Last year, the company brought in the Okinawa OKHI-90 and started production at a second plant in Rajasthan.As on date, Okinawa has a total of 540+3S touch points spread across the country with a target to expand to 1000+ dealerships by 2025. A recent partnership entered into with Tacita has seen the opening of a new R&D Center in Italy wherein the company plans to invest Euros 25 million (Rs 218 crores) over the next three years. The company also plans to bring its first electric cruiser motorcycle sometime soon. It will boast of the latest in technology along with the best in class performance in its segment.Okinawa Praise Pro Electric ScooterOkinawa EV 2.5 Lakh Sales MilestoneWhat makes this production milestone an even more momentous occasion is that Okinawa is the first, and, currently the only electric vehicle maker to have achieved this sales target. The automaker has also set targets to achieve sales of 1 million (10 lakh) units by 2025 and plans a series of new products for the Indian market.Apart from the Praise Pro, the company portfolio also includes the IPraise+, Okhi-90 and Ridge+. By achieving this production milestone of 2,50,000th electric two wheeler, the company estimates a saving of around Rs 12.5 billion by way of fuel cost while auto emissions have been reduced by 300.3 million kgs.Okinawa Praise Pro e-scooterOkinawa Praise Pro is their best seller. It is priced at Rs 99,465 (ex-showroom). It is powered by a 1 kW BLDC motor along with a 2 kWh removable lithium ion battery pack which together produces 2.5 kW and allows for a top speed of 58 km/h. Charging time is 2-3 hours with a range of 88 kms in Sports mode. On board features include LED headlamp with DRLs, a fully digital LCD instrument cluster, central locking with anti-theft alarm, keyless start and USB port. Suspension and braking is via telescopic fork in front and twin shocks at the rear along with front disc and rear drum brake setup.Okinawa Autotech was at No.12 on the list of two wheeler retail sales in Feb 2023. They recorded sales of 3,837 units in the past month, a YoY de-growth of 35.23 percent over 5,924 units sold in Feb 2023. More

Okinawa seeks to expand its EV business in India and recently announced an investment of Rs 1200-1,500 crore in electric two-wheelers over next two yearsOkinawa Electric Scooter Okhi90 and Mega FactoryOkinawa Autotech, which became the largest electric two-wheeler maker in the country in May 2022, after selling 9,309 units in the month has announced extensive plans. They have plans to set up a Mega Factory in the country so as to meet the increased demand for electric two wheelers.Okinawa Autotech Mega FactoryOkinawa Autotech’s Mega Factory will be spread over an area of 30 acres. This is their third plant in India, with the other two also located in the state of Rajasthan.Okinawa’s second plant in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan opened for operations earlier this year and has manufacturing capabilities of close to 3 lakh electric vehicles per year. The new Okinawa mega plant will offer employment to around 5,000 workers and will be the largest fully integrated electric two wheeler plant in the country.It will see investment to the tune of Rs 500 crores and is slated to be fully operational from October 2023. Okinawa’s mega plant will be fully automatic and will also get automation for powertrain manufacturing.Okinawa Electric Two Wheeler – Mega Factory SketchThe plant will have an in-house automatic robotic battery manufacturing unit, an in-house motor and controller plant while there will also be robotic automation for production of plastic body part molding and a paint shop.Okinawa also plans to improve its R&D facilities along with warehouses and Supplier Park so as to meet growing demand in this segment both in domestic and export markets. This mega factory, in Karoli, Rajasthan, will have the capacity to roll out a total of 1 million (10 lakh) units per annum.Okinawa Autotech – Product RangeOkinawa plans to manufacture the entire range from this new plant. The company’s current portfolio consists of Okinawa Praise, R30, i-Praise, Lite, Ridge Plus and Dual along with the recently launched Okhi 90. These bikes are on sale via the company’s 74 dealerships spread across 55 cities in India and are priced from Rs 58,992 to Rs 1,08,749 (ex-showroom).The company’s newest offering Okhi 90 was launched in March 2022. This high performance electric scooter, presented in a colour range of Glossy Wine Red, Glossy Pearl White, Glossy Ash Grey, and Glossy Jewellery Blue, gets its power via a centrally mounted 3800 watt motor with a removable 72 V 50 Ah lithium-ion battery pack. It gets 2 ride modes – Eco and Sport with top speed at 55-60 km/h and 85-90 km/h respectively and acceleration from 0-90 km/h in 10 seconds. The Okhi 90 can go upto a 160 km range on single charge. More

Electric scooter fires are catastrophic, and the need of the hour is a huge improvement in battery management systemsOkinawa Praise Pro. Image – sansCARi sumitNo doubt, all new processes have niggles that are sorted sooner or later. However, electric vehicles aren’t altogether new. With electric scooter sales on the rise, a major concern that comes to the fore is fire. With multiple videos of such incidents having surfaced, there’s no doubt that such fire incidents need scrutiny.Auditing vehicle fires is a complex and time-consuming process. Especially when determining if a critical flaw has led to the fire. This requires manufacturers to rectify known flaws on all models with a faulty part as an immediate corrective measure.With electric scooter sales only just beginning to gain any real momentum, it’s a crucial time for the growing industry. As such, a fire scare can do more damage than imaginable. While customers today are keen on EV knowhow, a lot is still left to imagination. And the current spate of fire incidents isn’t good for customer sentiment. Government policy must pave the way for better battery management systems.Okinawa Praise Pro recallIn a first, Okinawa Autotech a topselling electric two-wheeler company has announced a recall. This extends to 3,215 units of its Praise Pro scooters. The company will ‘check and fix any issue related to batteries with immediate effect’. This is part of the company’s comprehensive power pack health check-up camps.Okinawa Electric Scooter production starts at new plantBatteries are to be checked for loose connectors or any damage. Repairs will be carried out at Okinawa dealerships at no cost to the customer. Dealerships will contact customers and carry out checks and repairs at customer convenience. ‘This voluntary campaign is in the wake of the recent thermal incident and in line with the company’s long-standing commitment to customer safety,’ the company said.  Electric Scooter Fire – How To SaveIn most videos of e-scooter fires seen recently, vehicles have burnt to the ground. Chances are it’ll be a rapid fire owing to a catastrophic battery failure. This puts focus on lithium-ion batteries in use in most e-scooters sold in India. And lithium ion batteries without cooling systems sound grave. Putting out a battery fire isn’t easy.A raging fire is next to impossible to put out with water. A foam extinguisher or other alternatives are rarely at hand, which results in vehicles being burnt to a crisp. And while battery units are removable, it isn’t likely one would be able to remove a rogue unit in time. With such dangers attached to an e-scooter battery fire, it’s high time manufacturers and fire departments issue safety warnings around such untoward events.The Okinawa scooters website does have a blog regarding care of a li-ion battery. Among a range of things to do’s and don’ts is point number 3 – ‘Please do not charge the li-ion batteries within 1 hour after use of the scooter.’ The write-up even elaborates on what to do in case of battery exposure to water, but ain’t no mention of what to do in case of a fire.There’s obviously a rigorous process of extensive development and testing before such products are approved for the market. However, the focus must shift to the unregulated battery cell manufacturing process on priority. The Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) has already been tasked with probing the number of growing e-scooter fires, and suggesting remedial measures. In recent years, India has set targets on an electric push where personal mobility is concerned.  More

Okinawa will be launching a new electric scooter called Okhi 90 in the next few days that has already been teased onlineImage for reference.There has been a visible surge in demand for electric two-wheelers, especially scooters in the recent past. With an exorbitant rise in fuel prices over the past few months, consumers have been slowly but gradually transitioning towards electric mobility. This has led to the launch of multiple electric two-wheelers over the past year or so.One of the leading EV manufacturers in the two-wheeler space in the country- Okinawa Autotech will be launching a new electric scooter very soon. Ahead of its launch, slated for 24 March 2022, the Gurugram-based EV brand has teased the upcoming battery-powered scooter on its social media handles.New Okinawa electric scooter- StylingRecently, a test mule of Okhi 90 wrapped under camouflage was spotted testing which seemed to be a near production-ready model. A pre-production prototype of the same was previewed at the last edition of AutoExpo back in 2020. Speaking of its exterior design, Okhi 90 features a wide front apron with a pair of LED DRLs and turn indicators mounted coaxially.A single-pod LED headlamp cluster is mounted on the handlebar while the rearview mirrors were embellished in chrome in a test mule spotted previously. The scooter runs on large alloy wheels whereas a thick floorboard suggests that the battery panels have been installed underneath the scooter which would provide the scooter better stability.Prepare to speed up your life,Because Slow never got anyone excited.Prepare to #PowertheChange.Stay Tuned.#ComingSoon……#YehESahiHai #DeshKaEV #PowertheChange #OkinawaScooters #BestEvScooter #BestEScooterInIndia #MakeInIndia #TheFutureIsElectric #escooters pic.twitter.com/nsi9URBFf8— Okinawa Autotech (@OkinawaAutotech) March 13, 2022Other notable highlights include a raised pillion seat, a chunky single-piece, a silver-finished grab rail that extends to form a sizable luggage rack at rear and a wide tail lamp. It gets a wide LED tail lamp which is reminiscent of Aprilia SXR 160.Expected Battery SpecsDetails about its powertrain haven’t been divulged yet but reports indicate that Okhi 90 will feature a removable lithium-ion battery pack which should offer a claimed range of 150-180 km on a single charge. On using a fast charger, the battery could be juiced up to 80 percent of capacity in up to 60 minutes. It is expected to boast a top speed of around 80-90 kmph.Expected Features & HardwareComing to features, Okhi 90 will be offered a fully digital instrument console that is enabled with Bluetooth connectivity. The display will show a range of crucial information such as speed, distance to charge, etc. The system will house an embedded e-SIM that will offer a host of connected features such as geo-fencing, navigation, diagnostics and more. The e-scooter also gets two drive modes- Eco and Power, that can be toggled through the right side of the switchgear.Speaking of hardware, by the looks of it, suspension setup on Okhi 90 will consist of upright telescopic forks at front and dual shock absorbers at rear. Braking duties will be handled by disc brakes at both ends and most probably aided by ABS. The scooter will be manufactured at Okinawa’s new plant in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan which was recently inaugurated a few weeks back. More

Okinawa Electric Scooter production starts at new plantAnnual production currently stands at 1.80 lakh units which will be further enhanced to 3 lakh units thanks to its second manufacturing unit now being fully operationalAs demand for electric two wheelers has been increasing many times over in the past several months, augmentation of production capacities is only inevitable. Market leaders Hero Electric, Ola Electric, Bajaj Auto, TVS Motor Company, Ampere Vehicles and Ather Energy are keen to increase production capacities to keep up with this added demand and Okinawa Autotech also follows suit.Okinawa Electric Scooter New PlantGurugram based Okinawa Autotech has announced investment to the tune of Rs 800-1,000 crores in the next 3-4 years. The electric automaker currently produces its low speed and high speed electric scooters from its Alwar plant in Rajasthan which has an annual capacity of 1.80 lakh units.In a bid to increase manufacturing capacities to 2 lakh units, the company has commenced operations at its 2nd plant in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan. This new plant, inaugurated on 14th February 2022, will see the manufacture of close to 3 lakh electric vehicles per year which will be increased to 10 lakh units in the next 2-3 years.Once full production is achieved, it will be 5 times the capacity of its current plant in Alwar. This increase in production will not only allow the company to meet growing demand in India, but will also cater to global markets. Okinawa is the second largest manufacturer in its segment with a market share of over 20 percent in the electric two wheeler space.Mr. Jeetender Sharma, MD and Founder of Okinawa AutotechOkinawa Dealership Expansion PlansOkinawa sales in the past year have been particularly noteworthy. Sales has been dominated by iPraise+ and Praise Pro electric scooter, though the company portfolio also includes the Ridge Plus, R30, Lite and Dual, all of which are priced between Rs 59,000-1.09 lakh. The company crossed sales of 1,00,000 units milestone in India at the end of last year.Okinawa also has an expansive dealership network of over 400 centers situated in major metros and at Tier II and Tier III locations and across rural markets in the country. Plans are afoot to increase this dealership count to 500 by the end of this year. The company also opened two new Okinawa Galaxy stores in Dehradun and Jaipur.The Okinawa iPraise is currently among the highest selling electric scooters in the country. It has a range of 140 kms and top speed of 60 km/h. The company now plans a brand new electric scooter internally codenamed Oki90. This was shown off as a concept at the 2020 Auto Expo and is now ready to roll off production lines.Upcoming Okinawa Oki90 Electric ScooterViewed in test runs, the Oki90 e-scooter was under complete camouflage though some features came to the fore. It will receive LED headlamp and turn indicators positioned on its front apron, a raised pillion seat and large alloy wheels with disc brakes at the front and rear.The new e-scooter from Okinawa could also receive a full digital console with Bluetooth connectivity and a switch to toggle between Eco and Power modes. It will be powered via a removable lithium-ion battery pack and will be capable of a riding range from 150-180 km per charge. Launch in the next couple of months is on the cards. More