In the age of fancy vehicles and the age-old hand held rickshaw puller of Kolkata relegated to the back ground, there is a new public transport trying to make its mark in the West Bengal capital. The E-Raaja is a new electric rickshaw and it is also an advertisement for the Made in India campaign.
“It is somewhat a human factor where we thought of the rickshaw pullers who barely earn Rs 5000 a month. This new innovation could help them earn Rs 20,000-25,000 per month,” says Manoj Beswal, Executive Director of Nezone Group which is launching the e-rickshaws.
With colours like a soothing green, all black and Kolkata’s blue and white theme, its makers claim it is environment friendly, battery operated, fire resistant and UV free to ensure that colours won’t fade. The plastic body is made from high density polymer and vinyl flooring which they say does not cause pollution.
The lead acid battery needs to be changed every year and the vehicle comes with a two year warranty.
This could be the first step before solar operated vehicles are seen on Kolkata’s streets. A solar-operated battery costs five times that of a lead acid battery making it a high investment initially. But the good news is the battery needs to be changed only after every 10-15 years.
Clearing Road Blocks
Automobile expert Somendramohan Ghosh is of the opinion that the state government needs to take more initiative to promote environment friendly vehicles and take strict measures to discourage vehicles plying on the roads illegally. “This is much needed in the context of global warming and climate change. But the fact is, that around 2 lakh e-rickshaws are plying on the road in Kolkata and surrounding areas without valid document,” Ghosh added.
Kolkata based Nezone group collaborated with Delhi based automobile company OK Play to take forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India initiative. They wanted to be different from other automobile players in the industry which blend Indian and imported automobile parts from China and other countries to assemble the product in India.
“We have identified some key states starting with West Bengal and Assam and set up manufacturing units. We have worked on this for three years and are confident this will do well,” said Raghav Handa, Manager Operations, OK Play.
The vehicle is approved by ICAT, Pune, which could mean a better chance of getting the state government’s permission.
The options of government schemes, loans and VAT waiver could be an encouraging sign too, even though the E- Raaja costs around Rs 1.5 lakh. This is steep as opposed to the other battery operated vehicles which start at Rs 40,000 and go up to Rs 1.5 lakh.
However the plus point of the E-Raaja is its high life span. There are chances of getting corporates to chip in too, with space for advertising at the back on the rickshaw.
The E-Raaja launches at the EVEXPO East in Kolkata on the May 27 and will roll out of the manufacturing units in West Bengal by the end of the year.
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