Bounce replaces petrol scooters with EV versions

Bounce, the bike-renting platform, is purging the fleet of petrol-guzzling scooters and is working to replace them with the cleaner electronic variety.

In the aftermath of COVID-19, the company believes more people would prefer shared mobility, which would offer it a stable business environment. “Our plan has always been to shift to EV (electronic vehicles) as soon as possible,” Bounce co-founder and COO Anil G said, pointing out that two-thirds of the 3,000 scooters the company operates is EV. “We have been evaluating various issues associated with the move. In the coming days, we will go at it aggressively (in transitioning to EV).”

The company has listed 5,000 of 20,000 scooters for sale at an affordable price. A Google sheet signed by the company’s founder Vivekananda H said they were selling bicycles no longer in use along with the fleet of aging scooters.

Anil confirmed the development and said the company has already sold 3,000 bicycles at Rs 800-Rs 900 per piece. “We informally started the sales and it has gathered speed. For the scooters, we have received more than 400 calls in the past four days,” he said.

The company has inked a deal with EV manufacturer Ather, allowing the owners of the Ather 450 model of two-wheeler vehicles to rent to those with commuting
needs. “Unlike the typical dockless model Bounce offers, the P2P scooters are picked up and returned to the owner by Bounce customers,” a release from the company said on Tuesday.