e-Trio launches Touro range of electric three-wheelers

Telangana-based electric vehicle start-up Etrio has expanded its product portfolio with the launch of its new electric three-wheeler range of products under the brand name – Touro. The company has launched two variants of the electric three-wheeler cargo range that will cater to the intra-city logistics segment especially in last-mile delivery applications. It also plans to launch the passenger variants of the electric three-wheelers soon.

It maybe recollected that in September, the EV start-up had raised funding of $3 million (Rs 22 crore) to facilitate these launches.

The company says the Touro brand name is derived from the Portuguese word Toro which means ‘a bull’. In terms of design, e-Trio says the Touro comes with bull inspired signature front grille and its own manufactured brake drums. The Touro range is going to be completely localised making it eligible for central and state government subsidy.

Commenting on the announcement, Deepak MV, co-founder and CEO, Etrio said, “With the launch of Touro, we now have added new electric vehicles to our portfolio of retrofitted products. We are on a mission to electrify intra-city logistics and bring the widest range of electric vehicles tailor-made for this segment. With Touro, the customer has dual benefits of operational cost savings of almost 70% and unmatched comfort to the driver through a gearless, smokeless and noiseless ride. We have built a product that delivers top performance in terms of range and volumetric capacity coupled with robust safety and stability standards.”

“From a technology point of view, we bring various best in the segment features including hydraulic brakes with regenerative braking, independent suspension, cloud-based vehicle tracking equipped with a driver mobile app among others. While the primary focus remains on vehicles with advanced lithium-ion battery technology, Etrio also has a certified product range with lead-acid to cater to a range of end-users,” added Deepak.

The company anticipates a strong demand for its Touro range on the basis of a strong electrification mandate by e-commerce companies and the competitive TCO its e3W compared to its diesel counterparts. It has also announced a comprehensive driver training and certification program including necessary orientation and handholding for Touro customers.

e-Trio states that the technological edge of its new product will help the logistics and e-commerce operators supervise vehicle usage and monitor the real-time status of each vehicle including the current charging level. Preventive maintenance of Touro will further enable fleet operators to keep their fleet in good shape and free operators from the agony of fuel theft. At the same time, human issues such as misuse of vehicles or rash driving patterns can be easily identified, and suitable countermeasures can be put in place.

The EV maker says it is closely working with its B2B customers like LetsTransport, Amazon, Big Basket and Ikea among others, thereby customising the product basis operational requirements. The product does not have a fixed price as prices of the Touro range vary on the basis of battery chemistry, payload required, cubic capacity, and number of desired kilometres to be run daily, depending on customers' suitability.

The company is offering the Touro Max and Mini on both sales and leasing options starting for orders of over 50 units over a three-year contract. At present, e-Trio has a production capacity of 500 units per month and is looking to rapidly scale up the deployment of Touro across the country through a mix of outright sales and leasing models.

The company says the Touro is currently undergoing pilot runs with leading e-commerce logistics companies in Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bangalore. It is set to expand its footprint across the country in the coming few months. The passenger variants of the new electric three-wheeler shall be launched in the next few months during which the company plans to set up its dealership network in select locations.

Also read: e-Trio targets B2B platforms for growth, launches new e-3W

e-Trio launches first certified retrofitted electric LCV at Rs 775,000