TVS iQube: Hybrid electric scooter – launch on 23rd August expected

The TVS hybrid scooter was first shown during the 2010 Auto Expo. It has been a while since the world saw it and now, TVS will be launching the hybrid scooter, called iQube. We are the first to bring the exclusive news that the scooter is going to be called the TVS iQube Hybrid. The scooter’s trademark logo can be seen below. This will be the first hybrid scooter for India and the brand name has been registered. Many new electric scooters will be coming to India and some of them have already been launched. The iQube being an electric scooter will stand out and have a different segment and attract the audience.

The TVS iQube Hybrid will put the company in a very unique position in the market. The launch of the iQube is going to mark the start of a new segment for scooters in India. And we can expect other manufactures from both the electric and IC engine background to give serious attention to this segment.

TVS iQube Launch Date

The launch of the TVS iQube is going to take place on the 23^rd of August. This will be a very crucial and important launch. The hybrid scooter will be shown for the first time again since 2010. So after 8 years in the making, this scooter will be an interesting product to see. TVS has always been a forerunner in technology and getting something new to customers. Hence, the iQube will bring in some freshness and new technology for the benefit of the consumer. Expect it to have futuristic styling.

TVS iQube Mileage

When we talk about pricing, the new TVS iQube scooter is likely to come with a competitive price tag. The iQube will be a beneficiary of the incentives offered on electric and hybrid vehicles by FAME India scheme. However, the existing FAME subsidy is valid till September 30,2018. Thus, the scooter is being launched soon. So we guess the pricing will be around 80,000(on-road). This is the similar price as the electric Okinawa Praise, which is a full-on electric scooter.  

Also Read: Okinawa Praise to Ladakh

TVS iQube Hybrid Price

The TVS iQube hybrid will have a competitive pricing. It will make use of the FAME incentive of the government, for hybrid vehicles. This incentive is valid till 30th September 2018, hence the company is launching this scooter before this date, in order to avail the benefits. The FAME scheme has incentives ranging from Rs.1800 to Rs.29000 for battery operated scooters. TVS has its eyes on other upcoming electric scooters, hence it will try to keep the price competitive. An ex-showroom price of Rs 80,000 is expected for this scooter.

TVS iQube Hybrid Design

The scooter is more or less going to remain the same as shown at the 2010 Auto Expo. But we think some kind of design cues and the style palette of the recently showcased TVS Creon will also make it to the scooter. The scooter will have a fiber composite body to keep the weight.

The scooter is likely to get features like digital display for the instrument cluster. The instrument cluster will have two bars showing the rider the fuel meter and the battery meter. There could be some kind of distance-to-empty reading included in the display. There could be a menu with a settings option too. We had long back shared the instrument clusters details and you can see the photo below to know more. Other features will include a LED headlight, pillion footrest; pass light and a single seat. It will also get an electric start system. The taillights too will be LEDs. The iQube will be a good looking scooter and will also be attractive and eye catching.

The seat and riding position of this scooter will be a very different and we expect lower the rider to sit lower. Under this footboard the lithium-ion battery will be placed. There is a possibility that the lithium-ion battery will have an option like the Okinawa Ridge and Praise (yet to be launched), to remove the battery and recharge it at home or swap it with a fully charged battery.

TVS iQube Hybrid Specifications

The TVS iQube hybrid scooter will be an 110cc, four-stroke petrol engine, which will be mated to an electric motor with a lithium-ion battery pack. The hybrid power system will have a regenerative braking system that will produce electrical energy and recharge towards the lithium-ion battery pack. Transmission on offer will be a CVT. Running only on the electric motor, with zero fuel consumption and emissions, the scooter can be used for short city rides.

The TVS iQube scooter will allegedly also come with multiple driving modes – Hybrid Economy and Hybrid Power. This will enable riders to select the best mode to control the vehicle. In Power mode, the hybrid system will deliver high power, acceleration and overall better performance. The Economy mode will save energy and enhance the engine’s efficiency.

While the Hybrid technology is here, we expect the scooter to have a full-on electric version too. But what surprises us is, why the name Creon isn’t being used, which did gain good traction during the Auto Expo. Probably, TVS plans to bring is a more sophisticated and higher powered electric scooter under the Creon tag. This will be particularly interesting to see as we expect TVS to bring in multiple electric powered scooters in the future.

TVS iQube Competition

With the scooter coming in as a hybrid, it will create its own segment. The pricing is what will make up the competition from the market justifiable. We know for one thing, it will make the existing scooters from Hero Electric, Ather and Okinawa twitch a bit. Having electric power compensate where the internal combustion engine is faltering and the regenerative braking to recharge the batteries is a combination that will be hard to challenge. The scooter with all these features and options would also make the newly minted 125cc performance class some hesitation. There will be no direct competition to it.