BSA Motors, a Strategic Business Unit of Tube Investments of India (TII), part of the Rs.9582 crore (USD 2.4billion) Murugappa Group, launched five models of BSA eScooters today in the city. The eScooters are manufactured at the BSA Motors new plant in Ambattur, with an investment of Rs.200 million for the first phase. The Ambattur plant has an initial production capacity of 150 eScooters a day which can be ramped upto 300 units per day as and when required. The first batch of eScooters would be rolled out from Chennai on 10th November 2008.
BSA Motors announced Actress Tamannah, the rising star in south Indian movies as the brand ambassador for BSA eScooters, to create strong linkage with the target audience of the age group between 14 to 30 years. She has acted in trendsetting films like ‘Happy Days’ in Telugu and ‘Kalloori’ in Tamil.
Mr. M A Alagappan, Executive Chairman, Murugappa Group launched the product range. The management of BSA Motors comprises of Mr. M M Murugappan, Chairman, Tube Investments of India, Mr L Ramkumar Managing Director, Tube Investments India, Mr. Arun Alagappan, Senior Vice President, BSA Motors and Mr. K B Srinivasan, General Manager, BSA Motors.
The five models of the BSA eScooters are,
· Smile - The most competitively priced e-Scooter in the country for the age group of 13 to 18 years; 250 W, top speed of 25kmph. License and Registration is not required for riding this eScooter
· Diva - First e-Scooter designed exclusively for girls in the age group of 16 to 20 years; 250 W, top speed of 25kmph. License and Registration is not required for riding this eScooter
· Street Rider - Unisex sportz model from teen to twenties; 250 W, top speed of 25kmph. License and Registration is not required for riding this eScooter
· Roamer - For working men and women for the age group of 18 to 25 years; 500 W, top speed of 40kmph, requires license and registration.
· Roamer+ - The Family eScooter; 800W, top speed of 45kmph, requires license and registration
Commenting on the occasion, Mr. M M Murugappan, Chairman, Tube Investments of India said, “We see our entry into the electric two wheeler market as a logical extension of our current business, from bicycles to electric two wheelers. The eScooters is presently a Rs.450 crore market in India and the industry is expected to double in a year’s time. BSA’s foray into the eScooters category helps us to expand our portfolio in the two wheeler market. He also added, “BSA eScooters will undoubtedly be the next big success from TII.”
The Ambattur plant will have facility for painting, assembly and testing of eScooters. Key parts like motor, controller, battery, lamps, wheel discs, tyres & tubes have been sourced from reputed automotive vendors. The plant is equipped with State-of-the-Art technology with comprehensive full vehicle performance testing with a test track, motorized conveyor assembly line with modern assembly tools.
The BSA eScooters are certified by Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) to be used in public roads in India. Maintenance free batteries and motors make BSA eScooters 100% trouble free. The BSA eScooters have an efficiency of 82-85% in comparison to petrol run vehicles which has an efficiency of 35-38%.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Arun Alagappan, Senior Vice President, BSA Motors, said, “BSA Motors, a Strategic Business Unit was consciously formed to ensure focus and attention to the growing eScooter market in India. The BSA marketing team is constantly tracking leading style and fashion trends among the youth and their way of life. Hence, care has been taken on every aspect of the marketing mix to suit it to the target group. He also added, “Our initial thrust will be in the south Indian market and would be accessible with wide range of dealership network shortly.”
BSA Motors has carried out extensive market research to understand customer preferences in terms of features, colours, graphics and product names. The products have been specifically designed to suit Indian conditions. Every model has gone through extensive tests and validation to suit to the Indian roads and weather.
Each eScooter will have four colour options with the exception of Diva which will have five colour options. The unique features of these eScooter models are its protective safety switch, twin passenger foot rest, ergonomically designed seats, great storage space, side reflectors and many more innovative features that are not currently available in the market. The forte of BSA Motors lies in product design and top notch quality. Out of the five models, three models are in 250 watts, one in 500 watts and one in 800 watts.
Press advertisements of BSA Motors calling for 40 dealerships in South India had an overwhelming response from 400 applicants. Strict criteria were applied for dealer selection and the best 45 applications were selected for the launch phase. BSA Motors initially plans to set up 45 exclusive dealerships before December 2008 in states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry and Goa. All BSA Motors showrooms in the country will also have service centres with best in class equipment to provide complete service and satisfaction to the BSA customers.
For effective after sales service, BSA Motors plans to set up a centralized customer care call centre. BSA Motors’ customers can shortly call on GSM and Toll free VSNL number or SMS for product queries, test rides and service related issues.
