Balaaji Manufacturing PLC, an Indian Based company owning a plant in Ethiopia, launched the country’s first ever assembly plant of electric powered motorcycles. The bikes are called “Scooty”.

The company’s assembly line is located around Legetafo town, Oromia State, and the company is said to have invested around 50 million Birr to launch the assembly line. As it stands the assembly line has the capacity to assemble 300 units per month with the possibilities of further expansion.

Commenting on the development, Balaaji’s Director, Vikas Aggarawal, said the market for scooters looked promising even if there were challenges penetrating the market. Affordability was not an issue, he added, as the maximum price of the scooters was 25,000 Birr.

According to a statement by the company, the scooters eco-friendliness is expressed in terms of no noise pollution or vibration. In addition to this, the scooters, which can run up to 60 kilometers/hour, have features such as; running on maintenance-free batteries, stability alarm (remote control), push button starts, auto lock and voice alert locking system for parking.

In addition to this, Balaaji has now reoriented its focus on assembling fuel engine powered motorbikes. The company targets rural parts of the country as demand for two-wheelers is on the rise. According to Aggrawal, the price of these fuel bikes raged from 45,000 Birr to 60,000 Birr.

Source: The Reporter