London-based One Moto is in the news once again after having unveiled its first experience hub in Hyderabad back in March 2022. One Moto is now looking to make further inroads in the Indian electric two-wheeler segment and has inaugurated its first Experience Hub in the state of Maharashtra, which will be handled by Dhone Business Group Handling. This is the overall second Experience Hub, and One Moto is aiming to open 30-40 more centres across India in one year.
One Moto is currently offering three electric scooters in its lineup — the Electa, Commuta, and the Byka. All three scooters are currently being imported as CKDs from One Moto’s plant in London, with assembly taking place at the manufacturer’s plant in Telangana. One Moto is aiming to commence local manufacturing either by end-2022 or from 2023 onwards. However, the manufacturer has no plans to locally manufacture its current lineup of electric scooters, but rather the four new products which are headed over here. Two of those will extend its scooter lineup, while the other two will be electric motorcycles. While the manufacturer did not disclose many details about the motorcycles, it did say that we can expect one ‘youth-oriented’ and one commuter motorcycle, with a price target of “nearly or slightly more than Rs 1 lakh”.
Let’s talk a little about the scooters here. The Electa is One Moto’s reimagination of a retro scooter in an electrified world. Its design will remind you of your dad’s trusty old scooter, especially if you get astride and spot the instrument cluster, which is sure to take you back to the days when you’d stand on the footboard as a young kid while travelling on a scooter with your parents (damn nostalgia!). Powering it is a hub-mounted electric motor which produces 5bhp of power, while the torque figure remains unknown. Backed by a 3.2kWh battery pack, the Electa gets a claimed range of 150km on a single charge. The Electa also makes use of thicker 120/70-12 tyres on both ends, as compared to the 90/90-12 setup of the Byka and 10-inchers of the Commuta.
The Byka has the highest claimed range in the lineup, standing at 180km. The Byka produces 4bhp of power and is capable of reaching a claimed top speed of 105kmph. Meanwhile, the Commuta receives a smaller 1.65kWh battery pack and gets a claimed range of 100km. Unlike the disc-brake setup of the Electa and Byka on both ends, the Commuta gets a front disc and a rear drum. It is important to note that all three scooters receive removable battery packs which can be charged in a claimed timeframe of 4 hours — we will have to wait for a review to verify this.
Mohammed Muzammil Riyaz, Founder & Promoter of One Moto India, said “We understand that the youth is the driver of the country for a better tomorrow. Hence, we always wanted to introduce the concept to this segment of the society, and provide them with the finest experience. It gives us great pleasure to be associated with the ‘Dhone Group’. Our customer service philosophy is in tandem with the principles of our dealer partner. The staff at One Moto India Pune Experience Hub is well trained to offer the quality customer experience with the best after-sale service which will allow the customer to enjoy the best-in-class stress-free EV ownership.”
Additionally, One Moto is further looking to expand its reach and plans to open 18 more centres around Maharashtra and Goa, and there are plans to introduce battery-swapping and a subscription model, the former of which seems further away for now. Prices (ex-showroom) for the three electric scooters are listed below:
Commuta: Rs 1.36 lakh
Byka: Rs 1.83 lakh
Electa: Rs 1.99 lakh
One Moto has some exciting stuff lined up for us, and we cannot wait to see more of it. The electric two-wheeler segment is only getting hotter now!