IIT Madras incubated start-up ‘Pi-beam’ launches 'Made in India' e-bike
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According to the company, the e-bike neither requires a registration nor would the rider have to possess a license. It also offers a ‘Battery Swapping’ Technology, through which a drained battery can be exchanged for a fully charged battery at designated locations, they added.
Pi-beam, a start-up incubated at IIT Madras has launched ‘PiMo’, an E-bike with a claimed range of 50kms, top speed of 25kmph and charging time of two hours. According to the company, 90 per cent of the crucial components, including the batteries and controllers are made in India. The e-bike which resembles an electric bicycle in design is targeted towards personal and commercial needs.
According to the company, the e-bike neither requires a registration nor would the rider have to possess a license. It also offers a ‘Battery Swapping’ Technology, through which a drained battery can be exchanged for a fully charged battery at designated locations, they added.
(Dinesh Karthik, Indian Cricketer, after unveiling PiMo at IIT Madras)
Visakh Sasikumar, an IIT alumnus and the CEO of Pi Beam said, “We are excited by the sheer amount of interest and pre-orders we’ve received from our initial demos and trials across different cities. These bikes will find their way through B2B applications like food delivery, e-commerce delivery, shared mobility and much more.”
PiMo was launched on Wednesday at the IIT Madras Research Park in the presence of Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik, Prof. Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT Madras, Proffessor Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Professor In-Charge, IIT Madras Research Park and Mr. Visakh Sasikumar, CEO, Pi Beam Electric, among others.
(‘PiMo,’ the Utility e-bike made by IIT Madras Incubated Startup PiBeam, which was launched on 10th February 2021 at IIT Madras Research Park in Chennai.)
The company claims that PiMo which is priced at Rs.30, 000 offers better ride comfort owing to its dual rear suspension and larger, ergonomically designed seats.
Speaking about the product launch, Pramod DSouza, Co-founder, Eagle10 Ventures, said, “Pi Beam’s PiMO has great opportunity to grab market share at the lower end of electric bikes segment. Last mile delivery segment in the e-commerce space is another opportunity where PiMO can fit well and happy that Visakh and team are already in discussion with many e-commerce companies regarding this.”
Prior to the e-bike, the company had been selling Electric Trikes in the market, for purposes ranging from waste management to e-commerce deliveries.