EV startup Gemopai wants to make electric scooters the preferred choice for last-mile commute

With an aim to ease last-mile commute woes, reduce pollution, and tap into the growing market for electric two-wheelers in India, a Greater Noida-based startup is developing electric scooters for the country.

Started in 2018 by Amit Raj Singh and Kshitij Kumar, Gemopai is a joint venture between Delhi-based Goreen E-Mobility and Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Opai Electric.

“During my 12 years of stay and doing business in China, I got a chance to witness the transformation of their two-wheeler industry into all-electric due to rising pollution levels,” says Amit.

“I visited an electric mobility company and understood its working and benefits. Since India is also dealing with increasing pollution levels, I saw an opportunity of starting a homegrown electric-mobility company in India. I partnered with Opai Electric and started Gemopai.”

According to Amit, India’s public transport infrastructure is inadequate, making last-mile commute a problem for many people. Gemopai aims to make electric scooters the preferred choice for this part of daily travel, he says.

The startup is looking to tap into the growing electric two-wheeler market in India.

An August 2020 report by market research firm Prescient & Strategic Intelligence projects the retail sales volume of India’s electric two-wheeler industry to touch 10.8 lakh units in 2025 from 1.52 lakh units in 2019 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 57.9 percent; the retail sales value is expected to reach $1 billion at a CAGR of 63.9 percent during 2020-25.

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What’s on offer?

Gemopai currently has three two-wheeler electric vehicles for sale: Miso, Ryder, and Astrid Lite. Customers can book the preferred vehicle for a test online and then visit their nearest dealership to test and buy it.

According to the startup, Miso is a social-distancing mini scooter, allowing only one person to ride it. It runs on a Li-ion 48 V 17.5 Ah battery that can be charged up to 90 percent within two hours and can travel 60-75 km per charge. The battery takes three-four hours to be charged completely.

Ryder has been designed with a long seat and backrest to ensure a comfortable daily ride. It can travel up to 90 km on a single charge with a 48 V 24 Ah Lithium-ion battery. Astrid Lite has a 1.7 kW removable battery and can run 90-100 km on a single charge. These variants are normal-sized scooters that can carry two passengers.

The scooters are priced between Rs 40,000 and Rs 90,000. The Miso is available for Rs 40,000-50,000, the Ryder is priced at Rs 55,000-60,000, and the Astrid Lite sells for around Rs 90,000.

Anyone aged 16 and above, who is passionate about EVs, is Gemopai’s target group, says Amit. “We target most of our customers through our marketing and social media efforts. We recently collaborated with a few young celebrities including renowned rapper MC Heam and Delhi’s freewheeling footballer, Nikk Freestyler, keeping in mind our target audience.”

All the scooters are completely indigenous, with the batteries sourced from Indian battery makers including Ipower, Stefen Electric, and Inverted Power.

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Business strategy

Gemopai’s revenue model includes the sale of its EVs through dealer distribution networks and online registration, Amit says.

“Gemopai had clocked a revenue of $2 million in FY20,” he says. “We had planned to achieve $4 million in FY21, but this has been revised to $3 million due to the COVID-19 outbreak.”

According to the co-founder, Gemopai acquired 5,000 customers in its first year of operation and is working to add another 5,000 in 2021.

The Indian electric two-wheeler segment is populated with notable players Ather Energy, Okinawa Scooters, Ampere Vehicles, Emflux Motors, Tork Motors, and Hero MotoCorp, among others.

On plans for the future, Amit says the bootstrapped startup is in talks with investors to raise $5-10 million in the first round of funding.

“We are geographically looking to expand in Nepal and Bhutan,” he says. “Apart from this, our new product is under R&D and we expect to launch it this year for our customers.”