Made In India Lambretta Scooters to Make a Comeback

Lambretta scooters have been adored in India for decades for their compact Italian design. More commonly known as ‘Lumretta’ in a local dialect, Lambretta’s golden era lasted in India for decades in yesteryear. The iconic scooters have remained absent from the global markets for years now. But we’ve got some good news – Lambretta scooters will make a comeback in India. Currently, the assembly rights for Lambretta scooters rest with Scooters India, which is planning to foray into electric vehicles and an all-electric Lambretta is on the cards.

After prolonged financial difficulties, Italian manufacturer Innocenti shut production in 1972. But the brand was then acquired by British Leyland Motor Corporation, which gave rise to Innocenti S.A. Eventually, the plug was pulled on Lambrettas.

The Indian government bought machinery from Innocenti in 1972, after Scooters India Limited (SIL) was created. The SIL later produced a three-wheeler for the domestic market called ‘Vikram’, that has supported public transport in India for decades.

Fast forward to today, Scooters India board of directors concluded a meeting on Friday in which it was decided that the company needed to diversify its product range with the introduction of an electric vehicle (EV) lineup. SIL is in talks with several companies for the venture, including BHEL and NTPC.

The company further said it intends to develop Vikram electric three-wheeler in both passenger and goods carrier segment. While the passenger variant will have a seating capacity of four, including the driver, the goods carrier will be in the sub-one ton category. In the electric two-wheeler segment, the company said it planned to bring in Lambretta EV.

“SIL is in discussion with BHEL, NTPC, EVI Technologies, Murata Technologies, Japan Sun Mobility, and Xngri, the USA for technology/logistics partnership,” it said. SIL said it already has a seven-seat Vikram-EV that has received approval from ICAT and an electric load carrier of 1,250 GVW. “The company is planning for the commercial launch of the same shortly,” it added.

Source:FE

Image Courtesy:CompuCars/FE