Country’s first retrofit electric autorickshaw launched in city

On full charge, the electric autorickshaw could run for a maximum distance of 100 km and it could reach top speed of 60 km per hour. The cost of retrofitting a petrol-driven autorickshaw would be Rs 1.2 to Rs 1.5 lakh and vehicles manufactured after 2000 could be retrofitted. The company plans to set up a charging station each in all the 15 zones of the city Corporation as well.

Mansoor Alikhan, group chairman, M Auto group of companies, said that they plan to introduce 4,000 electric rickshaws in the city, and it would be mostly driven by female and transwomen chauffeurs. “The electric autorickshaws have various facilities including CCTV surveillance, GPS, panic button and tab. These could be booked using ‘M Auto Pride’ mobile app. Moreover, it is highly safe for children going to school and women,” he said.

Dubai-based KMC Group and M-Auto Electric Mobility have signed an MoU with the State government to invest in a facility to convert petrol-run autorickshaws into eco-friendly electric auto at a cost of Rs 100 crore and offering job opportunities for 5,000 people.

The MoU was signed at an event hosted by the Business Leaders Forum (BLF), an initiative of United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Economy and the Indian embassy in the UAE during the three-nation tour of Palaniswami in September.