Top Upcoming Scooters In India Coming In 2017-2018

The scooter segment in the Indian two-wheeler industry is seeing tremendous growth with several highest-selling two-wheelers in India being scooters, mostly automatic scooters like the Honda Activa, TVS Jupiter and Hero Maestro Edge. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) leads the sales volumes in the scooter segment with the bestselling Honda Activa and has also launched a scooter targeting the rural market, the Honda Cliq. But there seems to be no end to action in the scooter space with quite a few manufacturers, both established players, as well as completely new manufacturers, looking at the electric scooter space. Here's a look at the top upcoming scooters which will be launched in India in the coming months.

1. Ather S340

Zero-emission vehicles just might be the future of urban transport and several home grown companies are stepping up with their iteration of electric vehicles. And the electric vehicle space is seeing a lot of action, even in the two-wheeler space. Taking a leap in the same is Ather Energy, an Indian start-up that revealed its Ather S340 electric scooter founded in 2013 by IIT Madras alumni Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain. After three years of development, the company revealed its first product - Ather S340 last year.

The Ather S340 will be one of the completely made-in-India electric scooters

The Ather S340 is no ordinary electric scooter and instead will be loaded with power, advanced tech and a host of goodies. Ather says the S340 has been built completely from scratch, with 90 per cent of it being made in India. The lithium-ion batteries are the only imported part. The extensive use of aluminium in the chassis and swingarm makes it weigh at a maximum 90 kg.

The motor on the S340 gets an Economy or Sport mode, a feature seen usually on premium offerings. It also comes with a monoshock suspension, regenerative braking and multiple riding modes. The fast charging tech makes recharging up to 80 per cent in an hour And the fact that it takes the fast-charging tech just under an hour. The Ather S340 is expected to make its market debut sometime next year.

2. Hero Duet E

Showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo, the Hero Duet E is a fully electric scooter concept based on the regular Duet scooter currently on sale. Aesthetically, the Duet E concept is similar to the internal combustion engine model, but with subtle changes.The bodywork and suspension will of course be shared with the Hero Duet to make it more cost and production effective. the Hero Duet E is certainly expected to be one of the upcoming scooters in 2018, if not before the end of 2017.

The Hero Duet E will be Hero MotoCorp's all-electric scooter

The e-scooter is powered by an electric motor churning out 5 Kw and 14 Nm of torque and can do a claimed 0-60 kmph run in 6.5 seconds. Hero also revealed at the expo that the scooter has a travel range of 65 km on a single charge.

The company states that the Duet E was derived from the existing technology, hinting that the motor and battery pack are closely related to those of the Leap electric scooter concept. That said, the production plans for the Duet E are yet to be confirmed. But, certain news reports suggest that Hero is actively working on developing this model and could soon be seen at the company's dealerships.

The TVS EnTorq 210 was revealed as a concept

3. TVS EnTorq 210 Concept

TVS Motor Company unveiled a special scooter concept at the 2016 Auto Expo called the TVS EnTorq 210. The second interesting concept aside the Akula 310 managed to grab the right attention and feedback from the masses. While the EnTorq Concept may not go into production immediately, it does give a glimpse into the features that TVS scooters will offer in the future. The EnTorq 210 is based on a new generation Platform Technology that will underpin a host new scooters in the future. Other salient bits include large wheels fitted with radial tubeless tyres and roto petal dual disc brakes with ABS.

The TVS EnTorq will also come with advanced LED lighting, smartphone integration with GPS navigation, online connectivity features via a smart TFT multi-function instrument console and start/stop push button. Designed to be touring scooter, the concept features long and broad floor-board for a forward feet position for the rider, thus providing better riding dynamics. The TVS EnTorq 210 Concept uses a 212.5 cc all aluminum, liquid cooled fuel injected engine mated to an Advanced Variomatic transmission gearbox. The scooter's top speed stands at 120 kmph while it has a fuel tank of 8.5 litres.

4. TVS EnTorq 125

(TVS EnTorq 125)
 

Along with the TVS Entorq 210 scooter TVS is expected to ready a production model based on the same concept, a 125 cc version. We believe it will be called the EnTorq 125. It will be pitted straight against the 125 cc scooters such as the Honda Activa, Suzuki Access among others. The EnTorq 210 was a tribute to TVS' 33 years of racing heritage and also represents the way forward for future TVS scooters. It will have an all-aluminium 125 cc engine which will be linked to a CVT unit and have a fuel tank capacity of 8.5 litres.

5. Vespa GTS 300

The Vespa GTS 300 is likely to be imported as a CBU

Italian manufacturer Piaggio is looking to introduce the Vespa GTS 300 premium scooter in the country. Taking the premium route, the GTS 300 would be one of the most expensive scooters to be sold in the country and is likely to be introduced as a Completely Built Unit (CBU). Beautifully retro in its appeal, the Vespa GTS 300 is powered by a 278 cc single-cylinder engine churning out 21 bhp and 22.3 Nm of peak torque. The scooter gets an analogue instrument cluster with an LCD display, and internationally, it also comes equipped with traction control and dual-channel ABS. It will be interesting to see the kind of response the GTS 300 will garner in India, especially with a price tag expected around ₹ 4 lakh (ex-showroom), which is still cheaper than the Vespa 946 Emporio Armani that retails around ₹ 12 lakh (ex-showroom).

6. Hero ZIR

The Hero ZIR 150 will be a premium offering in the 150 cc scooter segment

The ZIR will mark Hero MotoCorp's entry into the more powerful 150 cc scooter segment. The closest competitor of the ZIR 150 will be the Honda PCX 150, which is on sale in European and other Asian markets but is yet to make an appearance in India. The Hero ZIR will be a sporty maxi-scooter which will be offered in two variants - flat floorboard and European style step-through. It will feature a 157 cc, single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine delivering 13.8 bhp and 12.7 Nm of power and torque respectively. Features like European styled step seat, dual projector headlamps with daytime running lights, front protection screen, bright LED blinkers and tail lamp etc. will give it a very futuristic look. That said, details on the launch of the Zir aren't clear at the moment. We do hope Hero is seriously considering bringing the fiesty 150 cc model to take on the offerings from Piaggio.

The upcoming electric scooter will resemble the TVS Jupiter

7. TVS Jupiter Electric

TVS Motor Company is also working on an all-new electric scooter, which will be launched in the first half of 2018. The new TVS electric scooter will share a lot of components with the TVS Jupiter, including bodywork and suspension. TVS is already running tests on an advanced prototype of the upcoming electric scooter. So far, there are no further details on the kind of electric motor and battery to be used in the scooter. But TVS has confirmed that the new electric scooter will be launched in the first quarter of 2018. There are no details on pricing as yet, but we expect the new electric scooter to be priced marginally more than the internal combustion engine TVS Jupiter.

Mahindra Two Wheelers is working on an electric variant of the Mahindra Gusto

8. Mahindra Electric Scooter

Mahindra Two Wheelers may not be doing so well with its scooter range, but that hasn't stopped the homegrown two-wheeler manufacturer to venture into the electric two-wheeler space. The upcoming Mahidnra electric scooter will be based on the Mahindra Gusto scooter, but will have an electric motor and battery. So far, details are scarce on what kind of powerplant will be used on the electric variant, or the kind of components to be used by Mahindra Two Wheelers. From all indications, it seems to be developed mostly by the R&D wing of Mahindra Two Wheelers.

Anand Mahindra at Mahindra R&D facility in Pune with the upcoming electric scooter

Mahindra Group Chairman and Managing Director Anand Mahindra recently tweeted an image of the upcoming scooter at Mahindra Two Wheelers' R&D plant in Pune. From the looks of the scooter, Mahindra Two Wheelers is already at an advanced stage in the electric scooter's development. CarandBike did try to reach out to Mahindra Two Wheelers for details, but so far, the company has been quiet about its upcoming electric scooter. Expect Mahindra Two Wheelers to spring a surprise and launch the electric scooter in early 2018.

For the latest auto news and reviews, follow CarAndBike on Twitter, Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.