The commuter scooter doesn’t have to be dull, boring, slow, or heavy. Bengaluru-based Lapa Electric thinks a scooter can be fun, nimble, and light. Lapa wants to redefine the traditional scooter, chucking the tubular frame and carving it out of carbon fiber.
As a material choice, carbon fiber has no parallel – it is incredibly strong and very lightweight. Lapa is making a carbon-fiber monocoque, and in the absence of obtrusive frame members, the monocoque also liberates the maximum space inside the tub. That makes carbon fiber a brilliant choice for carving a commuter scooter – the weight would be reduced, and acceleration, speed, and range would improve.
That sounds brilliant, yet challenging, at the same time. Sure, it keeps weight down, but the BoM cost goes through the roof. Also, there are supply chain problems – there is hardly any India-based raw material supply, though that may change in the near future.
Some time back, we sat down with Lakshmikanth Raghuram and Pavan Kumar, co-founders of Lapa Electric, to understand where they are with their scooter. It was a fascinating conversation as we soon realized that the founders are driven by an unwavering passion for creating what would likely be the most entertaining sports scooter in India, maybe the world.
InsightEV: Greetings and welcome to the InsightEV interview. We visited Lapa Electric a couple of weeks ago and were impressed with what we saw. For our readers, please walk us through what you’ve been working on and for how long.
Lakshmikanth Raghuram: Thanks again for this opportunity. Lapa was an idea that Pawan and I conceived about three and a half years ago. Since then, we’ve been focused on addressing key challenges in the EV sector—primarily weight reduction, material science, and battery technology. We dedicated ourselves to extensive R&D in these areas for the first two years. Once we developed the core technologies, we integrated them into our first product a few months ago. Right now, we are in the certification stage.
InsightEV: To provide more perspective, Lapa has been developing a scooter with a carbon fiber monocoque structure. That’s an interesting choice of material and architecture. What made you decide on a monocoque design and, secondly, on carbon fiber, considering it needs to be imported at a significant cost?
Lakshmikanth: One of our primary goals was weight reduction. While most companies optimize weight by reducing the vehicle’s size, we aimed to maintain the size of the traditional scooters while making them significantly lighter.
To explore materials, we visited expos across Europe and interacted with startups specializing in carbon composites, Nomex, and aramids. We gathered insights, brought back samples, and began experimenting with small parts. This gave us the confidence that we could manufacture at a significantly lower cost than European manufacturers and adapt the process to mass production in India.
As for the monocoque design, we aimed to overcome the limitations of tubular chassis. By creating a hollow monocoque, we achieved nearly 90% space utilization, eliminating unnecessary intermediate structures. Additionally, our modular technology approach allows for easy redesigns of the powertrain, battery pack, and other components across different models.
InsightEV: That’s exciting to hear. From what I observed, the battery pack fits neatly into the chassis and seems modular. What battery pack configurations are you working on?
Pavan Kumar: Currently, we have two battery pack variants for Lapa X. Our modular structure allows us to design packs ranging from 1 kWh to 6 kWh in the same integrated powertrain. We offer a fixed battery pack variant with a maximum capacity of 6 kWh and a portable battery pack variant with two 2 kWh modules. Customers can opt for one or both packs depending on their requirements. Additionally, our monocoque design provides enough space to expand the capacity to 8–9 kWh if needed.
InsightEV: The scooter also has a distinctive, edgy styling. Who was responsible for the design? Did you collaborate with external designers, or was it done in-house?
Lakshmikanth: The entire design process was handled in-house by a core team of four— Chetan, Bharat, Pavan, and myself. Pawan provided electronic inputs, I focused on manufacturability, Chetan worked on the design, and Bharat specialized in materials. We worked together to bring our vision to life from initial sketches to the first clay prototype. If you look at our sketches three years back to the product today, they match almost 95%.
InsightEV: The scooter has asymmetric wheel sizes—12” in the front and 14” at the rear. How did you arrive at this configuration?
Lakshmikanth: We extended the wheelbase compared to current electric scooters, achieving a balanced 50/50 weight distribution. This allowed us to compensate for some weight at the rear and opt for a larger wheel. The open design, where the rear wheel is more exposed, also aligns with emerging global trends. From the start, we envisioned a lightweight scooter with a large 14-inch alloy rear wheel.
InsightEV: What about the motor? Was it developed in-house, or are you sourcing it?
Pavan: We have two motor variants. One was jointly developed with a startup, and the second was designed with an Israeli company for our exclusive 72V system. While sourcing these motors, they have been specifically customized for our form factor, performance requirements, and cabling needs. The good news is that the manufacturing capability for these motors exists in India.
InsightEV: The scooter focuses on sportiness, featuring a 14″ rear wheel. Are you using a single-sided or double-sided swingarm?
Lakshmikanth: It features a mixed swing arm, hugging both the sides at the motor end like a double-sided swingarm and as it extends toward the wheel, it transitions into a single-sided structure.
InsightEV: One of the standout features of your scooter is the steering system. Can you describe how it works?
Lakshmikanth: During our design discussions, we explored unconventional ideas. Instead of the traditional bulky handlebar controls, we envisioned a streamlined interface—an integrated tablet. We started with sketches and then refined the concept to incorporate essential components like the braking system. We ultimately developed a modular 12.3″ display tabsteer structure, with the option to scale down to 7″ if needed. We wanted a clean design for the switches that was seamless to the Tabsteer. We achieved this after several iterations and support from other supplier startups.
InsightEV: Where are you in terms of development and manufacturing plans?
Lakshmikanth: We are ready for certification and are currently fine-tuning the battery pack and suspension. Regarding manufacturing, we haven’t established our own facility yet, as it would create a significant financial burden. Instead, we’re looking at contract manufacturing in Bangalore, where there’s spare capacity for battery production and assembly.
InsightEV: Cost is a significant factor in electric mobility. Where do you stand on the BoM (Bill of Materials) cost? If we compare it to a mainstream sporty scooter like the Ather 450X, how does Lapa’s pricing compare?
Lakshmikanth: We haven’t officially revealed the price yet, but I can say that our top-tier model with a carbon composite body will be priced slightly above the bikes in this segment. However, we will also offer an entry-level variant with a tubular chassis, maintaining the same design and performance but with different battery pack options, priced around INR 150,000.
InsightEV: Carbon fiber remains an expensive material, and most manufacturers avoid it due to high costs. Have you been working with suppliers to reduce costs?
Lakshmikanth: Yes, we have been collaborating directly with raw material manufacturers. They’ve been very supportive, and we’ve negotiated prices for mass production. Within 1–1.5 years of mass production, we expect to reduce the cost premium of a carbon composite chassis to about 10 to 15 % above a traditional tubular frame.
InsightEV: Carbon fiber is still entirely imported, right? There’s no local production capacity in India?
Lakshmikanth: Yes, we are currently importing the carbon fiber. In India, we have not explored yet, but maybe we will at the right time.
InsightEV: It would be a game-changer if you could bring the frame cost within 15% of a tubular chassis.
Lakshmikanth: Absolutely. Additionally, the benefits extend beyond weight reduction. In four-wheelers, for example, a hybrid aluminum-carbon composite chassis would reduce weight and increase battery capacity. We foresee a significant shift toward such materials in the future.
Carbon fiber prices remain higher with an upward trend. To add to that, the. material has an approximate 40% wastage (during manufacturing), and that increases the input weight and costs. Current carbon fiber fabric prices hover around USD 10-12/kg in India, while the entire tubular frame for a commuter scooter costs less than USD 50.
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