Surge has introduced an EV which can easily transform between a two-wheeler and a three-wheeler.
Surge is a Hero MotoCorp-owned firm that has spent the last three years developing a modular EV platform known as the S32. What distinguishes it is its ability to rapidly and easily transition between a two-wheeler and a three-wheeler. Essentially, it consists of a rickshaw without a front wheel, into which an e-scooter fits and serves as the front wheel. In this configuration, the e-scooter’s rear wheel is off the ground and rests on the rickshaw platform.
The e-scooter may then be detached and utilised independently. Surge says that the conversion procedure takes only three minutes. The rickshaw and e-scooter both have distinct powertrains and battery packs, but the controls are similar. When the scooter connects to the rickshaw part, an electronic connector must be connected in before the scooter’s handlebar controls can operate the rickshaw motor and brakes.
This is clearly a very creative concept, thus Surge and Hero MotoCorp had to collaborate with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to develop a new registration category for the S32. The term ‘L2 -5’ refers to a “2-Wheeler-3-Wheeler Combi Module of a three-wheeled motor vehicle constructed in such a way that a two-wheeled vehicle of category L2 is combined with a non-self-propelled rear module unit.” It can be divided or blended as needed.”
Surge plans to offer the S32 in a variety of different guises which all differ in the design of the rickshaw section. These will vary from a passenger carrying design, to a number of different covered and non-covered goods carrying designs. Depending on the application, the power output and battery capacity will also vary, peaking at 6kW for the scooter and 10kW for the rickshaw. Top speeds for the two configurations are 60kph and 45kph respectively.
The platform uses removable batteries from Hero’s Vida e-scooter, with the S32 scooter accommodating two packs and the rickshaw housing as many as six (and a minimum of four) packs. As a result, the scooter’s battery capacity is 3.87kWh, while the rickshaw gets up to 11.62kWh.
This vehicle was first shown by Hero as a concept called the Quark 1 back in 2020, and now, four years down the line, Surge says that it is nearing production-ready status. The company expects to officially launch the S32 sometime this year.