At the ongoing Bharat Mobility Expo in New Delhi, Suzuki India launched the e-Access scooter. This is the brand's first electric scooter in any market.
On multiple occasions, the media has reported Suzuki testing an electric variant of the Burgman Street scooter. This scooter is energized with two Honda MPPs and was expected to be rolled out in India now that Honda has started rolling out its swapping network.
However, that is not the scooter Suzuki has launched. The e-Access has a fixed LFP battery. There are no Honda MPPs; Gachaco can wait.
The Product
Suzuki has played safe in terms of the styling. The e-Access is not inspiring. At the same time, it is non-polarising. Maybe it's a characteristic that the Indian scooter market demands, as the Honda Activa 110 and the Suzuki Access 125 both feature uninspiring designs. Both of them sell very well.
Under the skin is a 3.07 kWh fixed LFP battery. We don't know the exact position of the battery in the scooter, though the very limited storage space (17 liters) under the seat indicates that the battery is also placed there.
Power comes from a modest 4.1 kW motor mounted on the swingarm for a direct drive. Suzuki claims a 71 kph top speed and a 95 km range for the e-Access.
Most importantly, the company says that production will commence in March 2025, and sales will begin in April 2025 in India. The Indian plant may become a global production hub and it is likely that the e-Access would be exported to other markets, including Europe.
Impact
The Japanese manufacturers are finally entering the Indian electric scooter market. Till now, the 1.1m Indian market for electric scooters has been distributed between Ola, Ather, Bajaj, and TVS, accounting for almost 85% of sales, with multiple smaller participants accounting for the remainder. The Japanese brands had been absent from the market.
They are entering now, but the initial offerings are underwhelming. A few weeks back, Honda launched the Activa e: and the QC1 electric scooters and both carry specs that do not match the incumbent players.
The same is the case for the Suzuki e-Access. At 4.1 kW, it is not the leader in power delivery; at 3.07 kWh, it is not the leader in energy storage. Not surprisingly, at 95 km and 71 kph, it is one of the laggards on basic performance parameters.
