Luna – the revered Moped of 1980s and 1990s that offered affordable two wheeler to lakhs of India 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 orginial creator of its famous jingle for today’s youth with a whopping marketing budget of Rs 150 crore.
Sullaja 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 26th and 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 to capture the magic of the yesteryear 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 company 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, Sullaja Firodia Motwani, vice-chairperson of Kinetic Engineering Limited and founder 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 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 company officials have kept the price closely guarded and will be formally unveiled at the time of launch, Motwani told Autocar Professional that will have an attractive EMI of 2500 per month making it
preferred personal vehicle and a livelihood bike with a 150 kg payload and a sturdy chassis that can withstand urban use and semi-rural abuse.
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 between close to Rs 30 crores annually, crossing lifetime monthly sales of its ICE Avtaar, which in its prime sold close to 2000 units a month 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 informed.
