An electric 3-wheeler called Terra R6 has been showcased for the Indian market. It will be priced competitively but has to fight it out against very strong rivals.
Terra Motors is a Japanese firm which sells electric 3-wheelers in its home market. The company has now lifted the veils off the R6, which is an electric 3-wheeler meant for the Indian market. The R6 will be launched here in early 2015 and the company is aiming to sell 10,000 units of the vehicle in India in the first year of operations. The R6 is currently undergoing certification procedures post which it will be available for sale. Apart from this, Terra Motors is also developing a couple of more 3-wheelers for the market and they will be priced very competitively.
The Terra R6 measures 2950 mm, 1090 mm and 1800 mm in length, width and height respectively. The chassis weighs 278 kgs and the weight of the battery is 150 kgs. It has a loading capacity of 1+6 people at an average weight of 70 kgs per person. On a full battery charge, the R6 can run for 100 kms. The R6 can climb a maximum incline of just 10 degrees. The battery is a 48V 100Ah unit and the brakes make use of drums. The R6 looks quite basic in terms of exteriors.
It is going to be very difficult for a product like this to succeed in our market. A country where Bajaj and TVS have developed a huge base of 3-wheelers with their strong sales and service network, a new company would have to face a really tough time. Apart from this, the R6 can manage only 30 km/hr while our rickshaws can easily touch 50 km/hr. The Bajaj and TVS rickshaws run on CNG and a full tank lasts anywhere between 120-170 kms while the R6 would need to be charged every 100 kms. The only advantage that the R6 has is that it can carry more passengers compared to our rickshaws.
