Meet the world’s first self-balancing scooters—Liger X, Liger X+
Upon launch, prices for Liger X and X+ are expected to start under Rs 1 lakh (inclusive of FAME II subsidy). The deliveries of the scooter are expected to begin towards the end of 2023.
The 2023 edition of Auto Expo has exhibited some of the most interesting vehicles and prototypes expected to arrive in the Indian market in the coming months. Among them is a new electric scooter named Liger X, which claims to be the world’s first self-balancing two-wheeler.
Founded by IIT alumni—Vikas Poddar and Ashutosh Upadhyay—Liger Mobility is backed by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) - IIT Bombay. The tech startup showcased the first production-ready prototype of its electric scooter at the ongoing Auto Expo.
Offered in two variants—X and X+—the prices for the battery-powered scooter are yet to be revealed. Bookings for the scooter are expected to commence in mid-2023, while deliveries are likely to begin by the end of this year.
Liger X electric scooter
Design and features of Liger X, X+
At the outset, Liger X looks like a simple scooter with minimalist styling and clean surfaces, forming a nice perfect blend of modern and retro elements. It features a triangular LED headlamp mounted on the front apron and an LED DRL at the top. It comes in five colour options, including Grey, Polar White, Blue, Titanium, and Red.
However, the biggest takeaway from the Liger X is the company’s proprietary Auto Balancing technology, which enables the e-scooter to balance itself at low speeds or even when the vehicle is stationary, with or without the rider. The feature aims to enhance rider safety, comfort, and convenience. Moreover, it can be manually switched off once the scooter crosses a predetermined speed.
Liger X+ offers TFT instrument panel
It is also equipped with a Learner mode, allowing the rider to limit the top speed of the scooter together with the Auto Balancing functionality. Other features offered in the e-scooter include a TFT instrument panel, turn-by-turn navigation, and OTA (Over The Air) software updates.
The digital display is enabled with 4G and GPS connectivity, which offers live location, ride history, battery pack SOC, and temperature, along with phone notifications like call and message alerts. A dedicated smartphone app also provides tow, accident, and service reminder alerts.
Removable battery on offer
Liger is yet to disclose complete details for the electric scooter, but both variants will offer slightly different powertrain specs. The variants will be powered by a lithium-ion battery, but the X comes with a detachable unit that claims a range of 60 km, while the one in X+ is a non-detachable unit that claims a range of 100 km.
Liger X and X+ come with self-balancing technology
The former has an estimated charging time of three hours, whereas the latter is supposed to take 4.5 hours to completely rejuvenate. Further, Liger will be offering the option of fast charging for both variants for an additional cost. As for performance, the company claims the e-scooter can clock a top speed of 65 kmph.
(Images courtesy: Liger Mobility)
Edited by Suman Singh