It is no news that Bajaj Auto is developing a new low-cost electric scooter for shared mobility company Yulu that could be priced at around Rs 35,000. A report from moneycontrol.com in February 2020 had said that Bajaj has started to develop the scooter for the shared e-mobility service start-up to compete with Chinese players.
Amit Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, Yulu Bikes, talked about the new Yulu EV developed by Bajaj Auto to techcircle.in recently. He revealed that the early prototypes are ready and the company has seen the vehicle. The new Yulu EV “looks very, very cool,” Gupta exclaimed.
The Bajaj Auto-developed EV looks different from the Yulu Miracle. It will offer more comfort, safety and durability and will be ready by 2022, Gupta concluded.
Yulu’s current e-scooters, including the Yulu Miracle, are basic, not-so-good looking single-seaters. It will address complaints with respect to the features and design of the Yulu Miracle through the Bajaj Auto-developed product. For instance, Yulu bikes lack indicators or a tail light, and simply come fitted with a reflector on the rear. Such omissions would not be seen on the model it gets from Bajaj Auto. Another aspect that could be better is the height of the bike to meet the eye-level of driver of big vehicles without compromising the comfort and ease of operation.
Currently, the Bengaluru-based Yulu imports kits of the Miracle from China and assemble them here. Yulu has an inventory of 10,000 e-scooters on the roads, and it is present in Bengaluru, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. It plans to increase the number of e-scooters to 100,000 units and spend Rs 400 crore for the same. With the increase in production, Yulu will look to expand its presence to 56 cities across India, yourstory.com had reported in February 2020.
At an autocarpro.in webinar held in October last year, Gupta briefly talked about the next generation Yulu scooter. Gupta called the EV that is under development with Bajaj Auto a “world-class product” suggesting that a superior shared mobility vehicle compared to the current Yulu EVs in terms of safety and many other aspects is in the making. Saying that it would be targeted at even global customers, he hinted that an export plan is on the table.
We are spending about $600 per bike. We are getting them manufactured in China and assemble them in India. With Bajaj Auto coming on board, we can bring down the price to $500 in the medium to long term. From over Rs 40,000, we can bring it down to Rs 30,000-35,000. Our product is customised for shared mobility.
Amit Gupta, Co-Founder & CEO, Yulu
Yulu’s e-scooters (explained in the company’s video embedded above), including the Yulu Miracle, are powered by a 48V motor and come with a top speed of 25 km/h and a range of 60 km per charge. Gupta has said that they need a single-seater, low speed, low weight e-scooter from Bajaj. It has been reported that the Chetak platform was too expensive for the application and the two companies have designed a new frame.
In November 2019, Bajaj Auto invested $8 million in Yulu for it to expand operations. It will also be considering assisting in vehicle finance to enable Yulu to achieve large scale deployment.
At BAL, we believe that the two factors of congestion reduction and pollution control will drive the segment of shared micro-mobility in the future. That coupled with the expansion of Mass Rapid Transport System like Metro in large cities will further boost the demand for flexible last-mile connectivity. In Yulu, we find an experienced and committed partner with the robust achievement of success metrics in a very short time. And this is why we decided to partner with them in their journey of bringing Yulu service to every neighbourhood of Urban India.
Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto
Current generation Yulu Miracle Features & Specifications
Parameter | Yulu Miracle Specification |
Motor Voltage | 48V |
Top Speed | 25 km/h |
Range | 60 km |
- 100% solid rubber tire with V-style street tread design – claimed to be puncture-proof
- Smart LED headlight – built-in LDR for automatic light control based on the surrounding light conditions
- Weather-proof QR code for unlocking the bike
- Battery indicator on the handlebar
- Universal mobile holder with anti-slip surface clamps
- Wrist operated Bell
- Solo ride seat
- Self-locking main stand
- Unisex vehicle frame with almost zero lateral offset
- Lighter than a scooter like Honda Activa & faster than a bicycle
Yulu Miracle FAQ
What is the Yulu Miracle range?
The Yulu Miracle range is 60 km.
What is Yulu Miracle top speed?
The Yulu Miracle top speed is 25 km/h.
Featured image sourced from the Yulu website.