Update: The One Electric Kridn will gain an LED headlamp customisation option in March this year. One Electric has released pictures showing two different LED headlamps on the Kridn. Customization options available for the Kridn electric bike include visor/windshield as well. The company has released a video of the LED headlights, accessories and metallic colours of the new electric bike, which you can watch below:
Video Source: youtube.com/One Electric
At the end of last year, One Electric started delivering the Kridn electric motorcycle to buyers in Hyderabad and Bengaluru through its distribution partners. The company said that feedback from dealers has been positive and that customers are happy to own a motorcycle without a gear system. It plans to commence deliveries of its electric bike in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in early 2021, and soon after in Maharashtra and Delhi-NCR.
Before deliveries began, Gaurav Uppal, CEO, One Electric, had shared some details of the Kridn exclusively with us.
Design
Pronounced Kree-Done, the word Kridn means ‘to play’ in the Sanskrit language. The motorcycle has been in development for the past two years. One Electric used a Honda frame as a reference but ended up designing a brand new one to make it usable for electric vehicle components. The chassis put to use in the One Kridn is 2-3 kg heavier than those of similar bikes.
EVs usually tend to have a futuristic design that involves funky elements and at times even offbeat proportions. However, the One Kridn doesn’t carry a futuristic design, and it doesn’t look like a regular bike of the current era either. All that’s on purpose. Uppal tells us that the company wanted the bike to have a cafe racer kind of design but is built for utility.
Truly Indian (Development & localization)
While some companies rehash Chinese electric bikes and scooters to market them as indigenous products in India, One Electric has designed the One Kridn from the ground up by itself.
The One Kridn is a truly made in India EV, not a locally assembled Chinese product in disguise. The new electric bike has Made-in-India chassis, front and rear suspension, tyres, lights, speedometer, tank and seat.
One Electric owns an IP right for the design, fuel tank and battery box cover of the One Electric. The company also has two provisional patents for a new type of motor which is under development. In all, there are 6-7 IPs the company holds right now.
The seat comes from the same company that supplies to Hero MotoCorp – Meenakshi Polymers. Fiem Industries makes the lights, and it’s the same company from which Harley-Davidson and Royal Enfield source lights of their bikes. Munjal Showa makes the shockers. Hero MotoCorp sources shockers from the same company and installs it on about half a million bikes a month. The wide tyres of the new electric bike are from Ceat.
Uppal says that apart from the cells of the battery pack, motor controller and a single brake component, everything comes from a factory in India. The reason the company is importing the three items is that they are not available locally. For all other parts, it has gone for localisation regardless of the cost. The company is also working on localising the motor controller unit.
Our locally developed and manufactured heavy duty chassis is designed to match our electric drive train requirements, and also to ensure a long life on tough road conditions. The battery, motor and controller are also designed to provide high power and speed, along with ample range for the city commute. Besides the chassis, the fuel tank and the seat have been designed In-House by the ‘One Electric’ team, with a patent-pending for the design of the motorcycle.
Gaurav Uppal, CEO of One Electric
Specifications
The One Kridn’s electric motor generates 5.5 kW (peak)/3 kW (continuous) of power using energy from a 72 V, 40 Ah or 2.88 kWh battery pack. The battery pack would require servicing after 3 years or 4-5 years depending on the usage. Charging it fully using a normal charger takes 4-5 hours. Using a fast charger, that time reduces to 3 hours. Work is on to roll out a bigger battery pack that lasts at least 5 years in 2021.
The performance of the One Kridn electric bike will be identical to a 125cc motorcycle. It has a top speed of 95 km/h and returns a range of 120 km in Eco mode and 80 km in Normal mode. The bike can go from 0 to 60 km/h in eight seconds.
| Aspect | Kridn electric bike Specification |
| Motor Continuous Power | 3 kW (4.08 PS) |
| Motor Peak Power | 5.5 kW (7.48 PS) |
| 0-60 km/h Acceleration Time | 8 seconds |
| Battery Capacity | 2.88 kWh (72 V, 40 Ah) |
| Ride Modes | Eco and Normal |
| Range | 120 km (Eco)/80 km (Normal) |
| Normal Charging Time | 4-5 hours |
| Fast Charging Time | 3 hours |
| Price (ex-showroom) | INR 1.29 lakh |
Production
One Electric is running a pilot plant with a production capacity of 1,000 units/month in Noida right now. In 2021, when the company sees its sales reaching to about 500 units/month, it will open two production facilities in Noida and Pune simultaneously. Both the new establishments will have a production capacity of 3,000-5,000 units/month.
Price & Availability
One Electric is primarily looking at the South Indian states: Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The company will consider launching the Kridn in North India afterwards. It is open to B2B tie-ups right now in North India, though. The company sees a lot of potential in the bike taxi segment and finds the One Kridn the most suitable option for that segment. It is considering supplying the new electric bike as a bike taxi nationwide but will tie up with only one company for only one location for now.
ElectricVehicleWeb.in understands that the Kridn was designed to be a robust and long-lasting electric motorcycle and a workhorse that can offer the same usability as a Hero or Honda 125 cc motorcycle. While most companies sell EVs in India in only cities, One Electric sees potential for its products in rural India. The One Kridn has a robust build and an upright seating posture that gives comfort that make it suitable for rural customers.
The lack of charging infrastructure is not as big of an issue as it may seem for the company as the internal tests show that the bike does about 80 km/charge with a pillion rider. There’s also the cost of ownership advantage related to cheaper power tariff in rural areas and the untapped potential in Africa where the bike taxi market is growing which the company is studying as a potential sales avenue.
One Electric is taking the opposite route when it comes to sales outlets. While the norm is to have company-owned experience centers or company-authorised exclusive dealerships, the electric bike startup is encouraging dealers to have multi-brand showrooms to sell the One Kridn. This would make survival for them easier until the EV demand builds up and starts generating significant volumes.
What is the price of One Kridn electric bike?
One Kridn electric bike’s price is INR 1.29 lakh (ex-showroom).
Rivals
The Kridn competes with the Revolt RV400. The Okinawa Oki100 will join the competition in a couple of months. The RV400 has a range of 150 km, 100 km and 80 km in Eco, Normal and Sports mode respectively. It is currently on sale in Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai. You can also go through our list of upcoming electric bike models in India if you are looking to switch to a vehicle with no emission.
Featured Image Source: facebook.com/OneElectricOfficial