Zen Mobility rolls out cargo 3-wheeler

Mumbai: Gurugram-based Electric vehicle maker Zen Mobility on Tuesday announced rolling out its purpose-built cargo 3-wheeler LEV Zen Micro Pod and said it has already received preorders for 10,000 units of the vehicle from the logistics firms.

Micro Pod will be available in two variants - the R5x and R10x, and offer a maximum payload of 150 kg, more than 2.5 times higher carrying capacity compared to a conventional two-wheeler, the company said in a statement.

Zen Mobility said its targeting the B2B market, specifically for last-mile deliveries and added that the customer base for its offering includes third-party logistics providers, last mile service providers, e-commerce, and grocery delivery companies.

The company will produce the vehicle at its Manesar plant, where a production line has been set up to produce 100,000 vehicles annually with flexibility to meet higher demand, it said and added that the mass production of the vehicle is set to commence from June.

Namit Jain, Founder and CEO, Zen Mobility said the company has collaborated with top leasing and rental companies, as well as fleet and third-party logistics (3PL) providers to ensure seamless deployment of the vehicle.

The Micro Pod can be leased or rented on a monthly basis, with fees of up to Rs 9,999 determined by factors such as lease type, tenure, and other considerations, according to him.

The company has also announced the development of a multi-purpose 4-wheeler LEV -- Zen Maxi Pod, intended for the delivery of cargo and mid-to-large size goods, the company said.

The 4-wheeler Maxi vehicle will feature a flatbed skateboard platform, providing superior cargo space compared to existing commercial vehicles deployed in the last mile delivery segment, resulting in improved operational efficiencies, it said.

While the launch is scheduled for FY25, prototypes are presently in the works, and customer trials are anticipated to begin in Q3 FY24, Zen Mobility said.