Zbee is a little and cute-looking electric rickshaw that will shortly be launched in India (initially only in Delhi). With a range of 50 KM per charge and a maximum speed of 45 KM/h, it may not replace auto-rickshaws immediately, but this vehicle is a nice option for last mile commuting. In Delhi, the Zbee will initially be used as a shuttle vehicle between the metro and mall - it will not be moving around the city. Similarly in Gurgoan, companies and apartment associations might want to use it to travel within and around their large campuses.
The vehicle is small and light. It weighs just 230 Kg. The manufacturers say that the fully electric drive-train is highly energy efficient - it costs just 6 cents per KM. Three people can travel comfortably within it, and they have included front/rear safety mechanisms. Most importantly, it will be available to buy in India. Until now, Mahindra e20 has been the only electric vehicle available - it's a car, not an auto.
This vehicle has been designed for urban areas, primarily for first and last mile connectivity. If your office is 10 KM from home, probably you can use this vehicle to travel to your office for two days with one charge. And then you need to charge it again. They say the vehicle will be fully charged within one hour - not sure if that is applicable in Indian conditions. If you want a small vehicle to go to movies during weekends and shopping during weekdays, this one might more than fit the bill.
Electric vehicles are, of course, emission free and environmentally friendly. They can be powered using solar energy and other renewable energy technologies. I hope the manufacturers will include solar panels on the roof or provide a solar parking lot. We need to power our vehicles through renewable energy to reduce our dependency on the grid - which is currently over taxed.
I am sure the modern and elegant design will catch the fancy of environmentally conscious citizens. Let's hope such vehicles will be used for regular commuting within the city, in the future. Here's wishing the Clean Motion team, manufacturer of this vehicle, all the very best. If you are in Delhi - look out: Zbee electric auto-rickshaw maybe launched anytime soon.
