Kerala Automobiles Limited (KAL), a public sector undertaking in the South Indian state of Kerala, has started exporting electric autos 'Neem G' to Nepal. The e-autos have been manufactured by KAL at its factories in Kerala.
Kerala Chief Minister (CM) Pinarayi Vijayan said that 25 units of e-auto 'Neem G' will be exported to Nepal in the first phase while the state is expecting to sell 500 units more in Nepal.
"In the first phase, 25 units will be exported to Nepal. It is expected to sell 500 e-autos a year in Nepal. The Neem G auto has a mileage of 80 to 90 km in a single charge. The electric auto also has a partition in place to differentiate between driver and passenger, which will ensure safety in view of the spread of COVID-19," said Kerala CM.
Vijayan stated that the first consignment of 25 autos was shipped from KAL plant to Nepal.
He said that talks are underway to export e-auto to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bangladesh apart from Nepal.
He further stated that apart from Kerala, e-auto rickshaw dealers are being appointed in other states to boost the sales.
"Other than various dealers in Kerala, the e-auto rickshaw dealers are being appointed in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh," he added.
The three-seater environment-friendly auto comes with a price tag of Rs 2.85 lakh (Dh14,116) and it is being exported at the same price to Nepal.
According to KAL, the battery can be fully charged within four hours and it can even be charged through a household plug.
