Mumbai: On a recent trip to Pune, I rode a two-wheeler which stands out for many reasons. For starters, its form factor is different from any other two-wheeler ever seen in India. In fact its maker, Qargos, calls it the world’s first cargo scooter. The designed and made in India electric cargo carrier, made a public debut in Dallas, USA, on Sunday, in a conference by software technology major Dassault Systemes.
Though a two-wheeler, the cargo-carrier isn’t quite easy to ride for a first-timer, as I found out. The main reason being the cargo compartment, built into the chassis, between the rider and the handle. However, a cautious couple of riding loops was good enough for me to be in proper control of the 145 kg EV, and touch the top speed of 80 kmph, while also checking out the 3 software-controlled power modes. The EV has a capacity to carry 120 kg in its 225 litre cargo compartment.
With its debut product, Qargos wants to tap a significantly sized market in India. “Roughly about one in every 25 riders use a two-wheeler for commercial application on an average. That brings the market to roughly about one crore two wheelers,” Alok Das, Director and co-founder, Qargos, told ETAuto.
Tech specs
The electric two-wheeler will come with a 3.4 kW motor, with peak power of around 6 kW. It’s powered by a 6.1 kWh lithium ion battery pack, designed by Dassault Systemes. Currently, the vehicle can be charged only through AC power, needing around 5 hour and 15 minutes to be fully charged, from near zero. The charging time could come down to 3 hours if the vehicle is made compliant to DC charging. A real world range of 150 km is claimed by Qargos.
Not the first idea
Though the electric cargo-carrier is its first product, it wasn’t the first project at Qargos. “Just like other EV startups, we were working on commuter vehicles. The first couple of years, we’re totally into commuter vehicles.When we got this idea, at a pivotal moment, we thought, should we keep working on incremental evolutions, or begin work on a revolutionary design altogether?”, Vijay, co-founder, Qargos, said.
The idea that led to the unconventional product kicked in around 2016. Vijay and Alok, both engineers who worked in the aerospace sector too, think they have found a new and better solution for first/last mile delivery than what the existing two-wheelers offer. “At the end of the day, the problem is the architectural limitation (of the existing two-wheelers) which does not allow it to be solved,” Alok said.
Can the boxy cargo carrier be an ‘out of the box’ idea the logistics service providers are looking for? Qargos claims it has already received orders from a leading courier company, which is also testing the vehicle by putting it into operations since late November last year. Around a thousand km were clocked by the EV during a month. Alok said the vehicle’s utility value has helped the number of deliveries to double.
Compared to about 35-odd deliveries a day with a conventional two-wheeler, the user of the electric cargo-carrier is apparently delivering up to 70 parcels. For grocery delivery service providers, Alok said, the value proposition can be of 3X more carrying capacity, “because at the most they are able to carry around say 36 kg of grocery”, currently.
The inbuilt, lockable cargo compartment, in place of carrying a large bag, where searching for the right parcel may take time, is aiding both the convenience of the user, and faster turnaround time too.
Qargos wants to leverage the convenience, dimension, and turnaround time factors to pitch the vehicle against 3-wheelers, and small trucks too. “A 3-wheeler EV is good for large consignments like a refrigerator and things like that, but for small parcels it is inefficient,” says Alok.
Product modifications
The cargo carrier’s testing and validation process is almost over, and it is likely to go for homologation in March or April. Before that, there will be some modifications, especially to enhance the aerodynamics of the boxy vehicle. Qargos has conducted drag force calculation tests, with help from Dassault Systemes, to check for any improvement possibilities. “We have done this exercise for the front wind, the crosswind and the respective impact of that,” Alok said.
The objective of the tests is to find out how much is the drag that is getting induced onto the vehicle. The corresponding improvements on the vehicle, like adding a few slits in the front part of the body, will be done.
Price and production
With its unique form factor and product propositions, the Qargos EV is expected to be priced at around INR 2 lakh. And, with feedback received from some prospective customers, the startup plans to roll out around 250 vehicles by the end of this year, and about 12,000 units next year, from its facility in Pune.
Around USD1 million has been invested into the project so far. A two-seater version of the EV, with a smaller cargo compartment, is in the pipeline. The startup has partnered with a few major Tier 1 suppliers, and also with Ather (for charging protocol) to build the prototypes. More funds will be required to execute the go-to-market strategy, and ramp-up operations.
