Kinetic Green ropes in Piyush Pandey to re-create 'Chal Meri Luna' magic

Luna – the revered Moped of 1980s and 1990s that offered affordable two wheeler to lakhs of Indians is set to come back in an electric avatar after more than two decades.

Kinetic Green has roped in Piyush Pandey – to re-create the magic of “Chal Meri Luna”  the original creator of its famous jingle for today's youth with a marketing budget of Rs 150 crore.

Sulajja Firodia Motwani promoted Kinetic Green has lined up an investment of Rs 500 crore over the next three years to ramp up capacities and launch several new products, as it seeks to break into the mainstream emerging electric two-wheeler business.

Bookings for the e-Luna will open on January 26 and it is likely to be formally launched in February in Delhi in the presence of Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, said sources.

Pandey has been assigned the task of 'capturing the magic of the yesteryear's brand' with a multimedia campaign that will feature commercials on television, digital platforms, and a strong below-the-line marketing effort so consumers in rural and semi-urban areas can test drive the car and book it on the spot.

The idea is to resurrect the nostalgia of the brand, which was India's most popular moped across villages and towns until the late 1990s, and commanded a 95% market share.

The management intends to target the Rs 25-30,000 monthly income group that uses public transportation, such as shared automobiles or local buses.

When contacted, Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Vice Chairperson of Kinetic Engineering Limited and ounder and CEO of Kinetic Green Energy & Power Solutions Limited, confirmed the launch dates, noting that "the E luna is legendary and the idea of providing personal mobility has been done for entire Bharat."

"This includes the college-going girl, the office goers, ladies, and we aim to encourage first-time adopters of two-wheelers to use electric vehicles as part of their financial inclusion and reduce the cost of personal mobility," Motwani added.

While the price will be formally unveiled at the time of launch, Motwani told Autocar Professional that will have  an attractive EMI of  Rs 2500 per month, making it a 
preferred personal vehicle and a livelihood bike with a 150 kg payload and a sturdy chassis that can withstand urban use and semi-rural use.

Kinetic Green has benefited from the recent decline in component and battery prices and has encouraged the Pune-based maker to target  5000 electric Lunas per month.

The company hopes to rake in close to Rs 30 crore annually, crossing lifetime monthly sales of its ICE Avtaar, which in its prime sold close to 2000 units per day and commanded a 95 percent market share of the moped market.

The E-Luna is most likely to be introduced in its three battery packs with the first versions which will be thrown open for bookings to have a 2kWh battery pack that will give a range of 80 km.

The company is also looking to introduce a 1.5 kWh battery pack for Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets for a 40-45 km range and a 3kWh battery pack which churns out a range of 100-125 km, company officials stated.