Artem Energy Future Pvt Ltd, a home-grown electric vehicle technology company has announced the Artem M9 -- the world’s safest electric scooter. The M9 will include unprecedented ADAS (advanced driver-assistance systems) previously seen only in luxury cars. The vehicle is being developed with several industry firsts: 90kmph top speed, 0-50kmph in 6 seconds and a range of 100 kms. per charge. Artem is taking a unique approach to EV practicality by allowing the M9 to be charged by an on-board fast charger, as well by swapping batteries.
“Range anxiety is a key factor against the adoption of electric vehicles. With the M9, we mitigate this by cracking that psychological barrier of 100kms of range, as well as provide the flexibility of charging or swapping, as is convenient,” explains Rajit Arya, Founder & CEO. The bootstrapped startup is in the process of raising a Series A round of investment in the run-up to a three product roadmap over the next five years. The M9 is based on a modular architecture that lends itself to scaling up or down. It will be followed by the M9-A and a mid-mass market scooter, the M6.
While Artem was incorporated in November 2016, the company has operated as a skunkworks EV technology research team for over seven years. With 2500 customers acquired for validation of product, technology and process over that period. The core focus has always been deep market research and understanding based development; to offer viable sustainable technology and safety.
The company is working on safety with a two-step approach: Collision Prevention and Collision Alert. A majority of two-wheeler accidents are caused by rider error and lack of due attention. Artem’s technology is being developed to ensure that the rider has timely information and alerts to make better decisions. Artem’s flagship M9-A scooters will have cameras and radars to allow 360-degree awareness upto a 100m radius. Also, there will be Electro Dynamic Braking (EDB), a smart helmet for the riders.
Data from environment perception sensors is used by the vehicle, in sync with the rider awareness features. Explains Naveen Deepak Veeramaneni, Co-founder & CTO of Artem, “Proximity warnings relay to the rider through a smart helmet, as well as through vibration feedback on the handlebars. Emergency braking can be automatically and safely activated using Artem’s proprietary “EDB” (Electro-Dynamic Braking) technology which reverses traction force for safer stops, while simultaneously being gentle on brake wear.”
Artem’s technology will also watch environmental factors; the M9 warns tailgaters if they’re too close. Indicators cancel safely and automatically by sensing when the turn has been completed, and a blind-spot warning system is available to warn the rider that despite indicating a turn, someone is close behind and a potential danger. These systems, previously only available on high-end cars, have the potential to drastically enhance two-wheeler safety.
Going forward, Artem is looking for net-positive impact. “Electric vehicles will continue to pollute as most of the electricity still comes from coal-powered plants,” explains Arya. Artem’s response is an integrated infrastructure solution, with an aim to build solar-powered battery swapping infrastructure that can be installed at places such as petrol bunks.
Japan-based Terra Motors has also announced its plan to enter Indian electric scooter segment by 2020. The company currently sells e-rickshaws in India and is also known for its Kiwami electric superbike. Indian electric startup, Ather Energy is reportedly looking to push its EScooter S340 for retail operations soon. The company has announced that pre-bookings for the S340 electric scooter will commence from June, 2018. Bookings for the Ather S340 will begin only in Bengaluru initially, while launch details for other cities will be announced towards the end of the year.