Date:16/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/06/16/stories/2007061603320300.htm

Back Cynosure plans launch of battery-run 3-wheeler, mobike

Our Bureau

Company will assemble the Chinese vehicles in India

Hyderabad June 15 Cynosure Enterprises Ltd plans to launch a battery-operated three-wheeler and a motorbike in the next few months. The company had launched a battery-operated two-wheeler, Yash Docile, in 2006.

A subsidiary of the Mumbai-based Mobile Telecommunications, Cynosure has tied up with Zhejiling Changton, the largest manufacturer of ebikes in China, to bring the three-wheelers and mobikes to India, according to Mr A.B. Vedmehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Mobile Telecom.

Hyderabad-based Cynosure has set up an assembly chain to indigenise the battery-operated vehicles (ebikes), which will arrive in a CKD (completely knocked down) form from the Chinese company. The company also launched on Tuesday an advanced version of its two-wheeler — Yash Docile Plus.

Mr Mandali Srinivasa Rao, Managing Director of Cynosure Enterprises, said a second assembling unit at Jaipur (Rajasthan) was ready and a third unit was coming up at Nashik (Maharastra). It plans nine assembling units across the country by the end of the current fiscal.

Each unit with capacity to assemble 3,000-5,000 vehicles per month would involve an investment of about Rs 5-8 crore. Funding for the expansion would be sourced through internal accruals and so on, Mr Rao told newspersons at the launch function.

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary, Mr J. Harinarayana, formally launched the Yash Docile Plus, which can run about 60-80 km on charging the battery at a cost of Rs 3.15. The Chief Secretary suggested setting up`charging points' at different places. He also suggested a centralised facility for multi-storey housing complexes in urban areas.

Actress Gouri Mumjal, brand ambassador for the vehicle, urged youth and women to use the vehicle as it is virtually noise-free and easy to ride. The vehicle has been priced at Rs 29,500.

Mr Rao said that in the first nine months, the eco-friendly Yash ebike logged sales of 6,000 units. The dealer network had been expanded to eight states and would spread further. The expected demand for electric vehicles in India in 2007-08 was around 1.5 lakh.