Terra A4000i Eletric Scooter with iPhone Unveiled; India on Cards

Japanese electric vehicle maker Terra Motors has announced its new electric scooter A4000i. The highlight of this scooter is that it comes with an iPhone embedded on its instrument cluster, which will then serve navigation and scooter-status purposes. Terra A4000i is currently being showcased in Tokyo. Terra will launch the scooter later this year. Terra is targeting emerging markets in Asia including India. Terra's Indian website is showing that the scooter will be launched in India in late 2013.

Terra A4000i will be the first two-wheeler, which has been developed with the ability to interface with a smartphone, currently it is only available with iPhone but later on other versions will be launched, which will be compatible with other smartphones as well. The rider will be able to monitor their scooter’s remaining battery charge as well as their mileage information and average driving speed, while it will also be used as a navigator. Terra will also provided unique apps for A4000i owners that are free of charge. These apps will be initially offered as beta softwares, which can later be upgraded to the stable versions. These application will help owner to find recommended stores in their local area, as well as downloading navigational assistance applications. 

Terra is planning to sell 2000 units of the scooters initially, but in a long term scenario Terra is targeting a global sales of 100,000 by the end of 2015. The A4000i has a new Terra battery pack, which has an improved battery life of around 50,000 kms. With a reported range of 65 kilometers, the Terra A 4000i is suitable for day to day commuting. The removable lithium-ion battery gets charged in only 4.5 hours. Terra will start the manufacturing of the A4000i from December, 2013 at a factory in Vietnam. The global sales of the scooter will also begin in the same month. The unit will be priced at ¥450,000, which is about $73,000 USD. However, in India we are expecting lower prices, as higher prices would lead to its failure.