A rider can save up to Rs4,000 every month on fuel using an electric bike of Jolta Electric that is comparable to 70cc motorcycles, claims Jolta Bike company officials. But the rider will have to trade-off between the speed: a 70cc such as Honda motorcycle can reach a speed of 90km/h but Jolta Electric bike will have a maximum speed of 60km/h.
Prime Minister Imran Khan launched the Jolta e-bike in Islamabad.
“We have introduced low-end e-bikes at the moment,” said Jolta Electric Chairman Muhammad Azim. “But we have plans to introduce high-end electric bikes, which will be comparable to 150cc bikes and later three-wheelers (such as electric rickshaw) and four-wheelers (electric cars).”
Azim said that the government’s negligible duties on electric-specific parts (1%) and taxes (1% sales tax) have made it possible for them to launch the electric bike at a price that is affordable to common people.
National Sales Head Muhammad Suhail Khan told media that their e-bike, which exactly looks like a 70cc motorcycle is priced at Rs82,500.
He added that they were also selling e-scooty for women that is priced at Rs105,000. “Meanwhile, we will soon launch a bike comparable to 125cc.”
Jolta e-bike’s range is between 80km and 100km depending on the speed and road conditions, according to the company official.
Khan said that the batteries in the bike (12-volt five dry batteries) will have a three-month warranty and a two-year average life. At a current price of the battery, it can be changed for Rs20,000.
The capacity of the e-bike company factory is 6,000 bikes at the moment. Khan says they will be increasing it to 10,000 units in the next couple of months.
“Riding an e-bike is environment friendly and it will also not add to noise pollution. It will also save people’s money on fuel,” he said.
Khan said that they have studied the expense of fuel consumption and maintenance expenditure of a 70cc bike.
“An average person spends around Rs4,000 monthly on fuel and maintenance on a 70cc bike monthly.” The maintenance cost of the e-bike would be much lower.
He claimed that their e-bike gets charged in one unit of electricity provided by electric marketing companies such as K-Electric. A unit of electricity costs between Rs17 and Rs25.
“A person will be getting a mileage of 80 to 100 kilometers in a maximum of Rs25,” he said.
An auto sector expert with an eye on the motorcycle segment, Sabir Sheikh said that the shape of electric bikes is different worldwide.
“Electric bikes are lighter and are shaped with different aerodynamics relevant to the requirements of electric motor,” Shaikh said. “What purpose will the fuel tank in these e-bikes in Pakistan serve?”
But Khan of Jolta Electric said that a normal shape such as that of 70cc is acceptable to people in Pakistan. “They think the bike is with a fuel tank. We believe the traditional shape of a motorcycle is acceptable to them,” he explained.
