‘Kerala Neem G’ auto rickshaws, from the public sector-run Kerala Automobiles Limited, will hit the streets of Nepal from November.
The first lot of 25 eco-friendly electric vehicles for Nepal, from the Kerala Automobiles Limited’s (KAL) plant at Aralumoodu, near Thiruvananthapuram, were shipped from the State capital on Tuesday by road. The two trucks will arrive with the consignment in Nepal in 12 days.
The KAL has also got orders for eight more e-autos from Nepal and they will be shipped soon. The Nepal government is procuring the e-autos through Himalaya Motrrad Private Ltd. as part of ushering in e-mobility. The cost of transportation is borne by the dealer.
For KAL, it is its first export after 17 years. It is also the first export of the electric e-auto rickshaw from the country by a public sector undertaking of a State.
Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan flagged off the ‘Kerala Neem G’ autorickshaws in the presence of KAL Chairman Karamana Hari, Managing Director A. Shajahan, Chairman, Public Sector Restructuring and Internal Audit Board (RIAB) N. Sasidharan Nair and officials of KAL and RIAB.
The aim is to sell 500 e-autos in Nepal annually. Talks are on to export KAL’s e-auto to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kenya, the Minister said.
The three-seater environment-friendly ‘Kerala Neem G’ auto rickshaws are being sold to Nepal for ₹2.85 lakh, the same rate as in the country. Indigenously made battery using German technology can be charged within three hours and 55 minutes. Charging can be done using a three-pin plug in households also. With full charge, the e-auto will travel 80 to 90 km.
