After opening preorders almost a month ago, Okinawa has launched its all-electric scooter, the Okinawa Praise, in India. The Indian two-wheeler company claims that the Praise is India's fastest electric scooter right now, capable of reaching top speed of 75kmph with full load. In tandem, it quotes total riding range between 170-200 kilometres, which would be significantly higher than the 100km range that Vespa has quoted its upcoming electric scooter, the Vespa Elettrica will come with.
Okinawa is part of a rising number of startups investing in all-electric two-wheelers of late. The likes of Hero Motocorp have already rolled out initial units like the Optima DX, which have limited speed and range of travelling. In recent times, the likes of Ather Energy and Emflux have joined the fore, with Emflux in particular being set to unveil an all-electric sports bike with 200km range, 200kph top speed and a pretty nifty design at the Auto Expo 2018. With the Praise e-scooter, Okinawa will target short commute urban customers. The list of equipment include LED headlamps, side stand sensor, a USB charging point, a digital speedometer, three driving modes (Economy, Sporty and Turbo), anti-theft sensor, 'Find My Scooter' GPS tracker, electronically assisted braking system (EABS) and keyless start. In terms of storage, you get a front glove box and an under-seat storage area of 19.4 litres.
The Okinawa electric scooter uses a 1000W electric motor that produces about 4bhp of peak power and 40Nm peak torque. Presently, it is fitted with Lead Acid batteries, which will be replaced with Lithium ion batteries in future to reduce weight. The Lead Acid battery will take six hours to fully charge, while the Li-ion battery will come equipped with fast charging of 80 percent in 45 minutes. The scooter has been up for preorders for a token amount of Rs. 2,000, and will now be available from Okinawa's outlets across India at Rs. 59,889 (ex-showroom, Delhi).