A scale model of the Strom R3, the three-wheeled electric vehicle from Mumbai-based Strom Motors, has been showcased at the CES 2020 in Las Vegas. It was a part of CES’ first-ever India pavilion, sponsored by venture capitalist firm Motwani Jadeja. The fully-electric two-seater is expected to be launched in India priced at Rs.4 lakh ex-showroom. Below are some pictures and a video of the display shared with EVW by Pratik Gupta.
With dimensions of 2907 mm x 1450 mm x 1572 mm, the Strom R3 is compact when compared to an entry-level hatchback (like a Maruti Alto or Datsun redi-Go) and weighs just 550 kg. This makes the R3 an ideal car for the city where pollution and congestion are major challenges. The R3 can be charged in three hours from a 15A outlet and with a range of 200 km and a top speed of 80 km/h, R3 aims to satiate the needs of a conventional city car without the costs that come with it. The company is claiming a running cost of 40 paise per km that proves to be very economical.
The reverse trike recently received ARAI approval after facing several barriers including the unique vehicle design and the position of its lights. The R3 uses 48V battery packs that are designed to last 1 lakh km and have been designed to be suitable for reuse in applications like UPS and other power storage solutions with minimal re-work. The motor in the R3 is a 15 kW unit that has been benchmarked against the hatchbacks sold in India in terms of acceleration without compromising on efficiency and range.
To be fitted with a 4G compatible diagnostic engine, the R3 lets the user track the location of the vehicle and charge status and also offer information about the health of motors, brake pads and electronics. With the help of machine-based navigation engine, the system tracks the driving habits and road conditions to help the other Strom users know about bad roads and other smart insights and actionable inputs.
The Strom R3 will get auto AC with a climate control system, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, keyless entry, parking assist, reverse camera, power windows and 3-point seatbelts (a version with an airbag is said to be under development for next year). Other features include customisable user interface, voice control, FM/USB system with optional 20 GB onboard music storage, maps + navigation support, data connectivity option and more.
The Strom R3 is expected to launch for a price of about INR 4 lakh (ex-showroom), with pre-bookings set to open on 20 February.
