This Made In India 3-Wheeler Could Soon Be The Most Affordable EV

• The R3 EV will be launched in August at a price of Rs 4.5 lakh.
• Its electric motor produces around 20.4PS and 90Nm.
• The car will be available in three variants based on range: 120km, 160km and 200km.

What’s got three wheels and is extremely city friendly? A rickshaw, you may say. How does a homegrown reverse trike EV sound to you? The Strom R3 is precisely that. Originally scheduled for launch in March, Strom had to change plans due to the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown. The Mumbai-based startup is now aiming to launch the EV at Rs 4.5 lakh (ex-showroom) by mid-August.  

Strom will first introduce the top-spec variant that it claims will deliver 200km on a single charge. Pratik Gupta, founder and CEO of Strom Motors, also confirmed that the brand is developing variants with lower range (120km and 160km respectively) that will be launched later. The electric motor that drives the R3 makes 20.4PS and 90Nm. Strom claims the lithium-ion battery pack takes just 3 hours for a full charge. 

The small EV looks cute yet edgy. There are interesting elements too, including a sharp design for the front bumper, a sunroof as well as a rear spoiler. It gets two 13-inch alloy wheels and a single stamped steel wheel at the rear. The EV is about 2907mm long, 1450mm wide and 1572mm high. For your reference that's even smaller than the Tata Nano, which is 192mm longer (3099mm), 45mm wider (1495mm), and 80mm higher (1652mm). The EV will be available in four three-tone metallic colours.

It will be offered as a two-seater as well as a three-seater. What’s more likely to get your attention is the host of tech on the inside. The highlight is the IOT-enabled Continuous Monitoring System in the 7-inch touchscreen unit. This comes with 4G connectivity, 20GB music storage, voice and gesture control, turn by turn navigation, and mobile connectivity. Below it is an auxiliary 2.4-inch touchscreen. Strom claims the user interface is fully customizable. All these gizmos sit on a dual-tone dashboard. The driver gets a 3-spoke steering wheel and a 4.3-inch digital instrument cluster. 

Strom is a Mumbai-based startup with a plant outside the city. The company has received around 3000 enquiries regarding the car from across the country. Their current plan is to convert almost 800 enquiries from Mumbai, where deliveries are expected to start in January 2021.