Genze by Mahindra, eScooter

sk8norcal

sk8norcal

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http://green.autoblog.com/2013/09/25/genze-sts-electric-scooter-is-designed-for-gen-z-and-their-phone/
http://www.genze.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mahindragenze

This is an entry-level scooter with a price tag, when it goes on sale in the Spring of 2014, that should read somewhere around $3,000. With a 30-mile-per-hour top speed – future models will be faster – it doesn't require a motorcycle endorsement. It said to have a "predictable" throttle, traction control, and is ergonomically designed to help keep riders upright and comfortable. The battery weighs about 20 pounds and is removable, so one can bring it with them to charge.

Although its Mahindra parent company hails from India, the GenZe wil actually be built in Ann Arbor, MI. CenZe's offices are based in Silicon Valley. The scooters will be sold directly to consumers in California, Florida, Oregon and Virginia and through dealers elsewhere. Despite all it has, there is one thing this two-wheeler still lacks: a name.
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GenZe%20STS.jpg


[youtube]kgLZe4HM-FA[/youtube]
 
I just heard about a new EV scooter coming out this fall called the GenZe. They're only going to be on sale on the west coast, so I don't know how many people have heard of them yet. I guess I only heard about them because I live close to where they're based (the Bay Area).

The scooter looks pretty legit. There's even a contest to win one happening right now.

I'm thinking of getting another EV for my daily commute (I already have a Volt). But I don't want another car and I definitely don't want a motorcycle, so this GenZe thing looks like it could be a good option. Anyone else here have EV scooter advice to share?
 
http://contest.genze.com/urban-commuters-need-smart-alternatives/

Doesn't look half bad, but not exactly stellar. For $250 it would be a bargain if we ever got it. It looks small to have a 1.6kw battery/30 mile range and a motor to go 30mph with 130newtons, but I just guessing. Nothing on wattage there.

The bike looks about right, that's $200.

I don't mean to say vaporware, but I don't get a real feeling of about to come to market from the site, but they're taking orders for a very cheap pair of two wheelers. Or are those prices just deposits?
 
Dauntless said:
For $250 it would be a bargain if we ever got it.
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Where did you get price information? That low a price seems like total fiction, or like you dropped a zero.
 
GenZe By Mahindra
The GenZe was conceived in Silicon Valley, engineered and assembled in the USA.

Well, that would seem to ruin the price point.
Mahindra is a tractor manufacturer in India.
They make decent tractors at a price point above the chinese and well below american built.
 
But if you pay the full price in advance, that's still called a deposit. It doesn't say anything about paying more later, does it? But as Chalo says, if it seems to be too good to be true. . . .

And I still want a wattage figure. Am I the only one thinking that 130 newton meters on that little guy is the REAL fiction?

RLT said:
GenZe By Mahindra
The GenZe was conceived in Silicon Valley, engineered and assembled in the USA.

Well, that would seem to ruin the price point.
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Kinda ruins the image of Silicon Valley, too, eh?
 
From their website:

A deposit today will reserve your spot in line for the introductory price of $2999.00 + tax and delivery within California, Oregon and Michigan only. Residents of other states, contact us at customerservice@genze.com to find out when GenZe will be available in your area.
 
Dauntless said:
And I still want a wattage figure. Am I the only one thinking that 130 newton meters on that little guy is the REAL fiction?
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Did they say 130 Nm, or just 130N? Because that wheel is not 2m in diameter.

If they are talking thrust at the contact patch, that's about 29 pounds of push. It's not unrealistic for a normal sized person just getting around.
 
You measure torque in either foot pounds or newton meters. They said "Peak Torque: 130 Nm" Nothing to do with measuring in the metric system.

Looking for that again I found a full price: $3,000. But this was listing a deposit of $215. They're not keeping the whole site up to date.
 
Ah, I see. In your earlier post you said "motor to go 30mph with 130newtons", so I thought they might have made that same claim of force rather than torque. To judge from the photos, that size wheel would make about four times as many newtons of thrust as the number of newton-meters of torque.
 
just saw it on CNBC
$3000 made in Mi, 30mph, 30 mile range claimed.
but it does not have pedals, so MC license may be needed here in FL. Tag needed for sure.
 
The EE's didn't do the design, although i agree it is terrible. The marketing director created that monstrosity of a design.

Most of the engineers have already left the project, if you have put in a pre-order, i suggest you get it back before there is nobody to call for a refund.
 
^ and how do you know that? do you used to work for them?

the scooter could be better looking, but Americans in general look down on scooters of any design, while they sit in their cars.
Scooter is the dominant form of transportation (gas and electric) in many Asian countries.


recent articles claims they are going into production in Michigan,

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2015/04/13/electric-wheeler-manufacturer-grows-michigan-presence/25749783/

The California-based company, with production operations in Ann Arbor, will start retail production next month of its all-electric GenZe 2.0 scooter. It plans to expand its 57-worker U.S. workforce to upward of 100 people by year's end and increase awareness of its products through community and university partnerships.

"We think we've got something very interesting for American consumers," said Mahindra GenZe President and CEO Vish Palekar during a recent interview at the company's production facility in Ann Arbor.

"We're very excited to launch this vehicle."

The new scooter isn't like a traditional Vespa that Americans are used to seeing. Besides the instant torque, 30-mile range and 0-30 in less than eight seconds thanks to its electric powertrain, it also features a unique aluminum frame, seven-inch touchscreen and utilizes a mobile app for information on navigation, charging and other specs.

Sales of the all-electric scooter will start in California, Portland and Michigan.
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http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/sbo/2015/02/indian-ev-giant-hires-6-in-portland-to-kickstart.html?page=all&utm_content=buffere30d7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
 
they've been claiming to be going into production since 2012.

There's really no risk in waiting without a preorder, there are not a lot of preorders to begin with, and it's just a gimmicky incentive. If you still want a bike after the first few people have complained about all the completely unfixable problems, by all means, i'm sure they will be on fire-sale to get a few units out the door anyway.


They are a long way off of production, they have not secured any public interest, (4k likes on facebook, most of which are recent, is pretty insignificant for a multi-million dollar company that has been marketing the same product for 2+ years).



The new range of electric scooters from Mahindra is yet to be named and is expected to hit the targeted markets in the spring of 2014. The Mahindra GenZe STS will be launched with an estimated price tag of around $3,000 (Rs. 1.80 lakhs).
Read more at http://www.motorbeam.com/2013/09/bikes/mahindra-2wheelers/mahindra-genze-sts-practical-electric-scooter/#aR4gqjIa5VQmloQP.99

It has a touch capacitive screen, exposed to all of the elements, and is required to work in order to log in to the bike, makes the likelihood of getting the bike started in adverse conditions pretty low.
 
shadow said:
It has a touch capacitive screen, exposed to all of the elements, and is required to work in order to log in to the bike, makes the likelihood of getting the bike started in adverse conditions pretty low.
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Yep! Another toy for people who live in the sunshine only, this is not a serious commuter, looks flimsy and I bet not reliable. It is cute though, and it really looked practical for the pretty California girl who went shopping.
 
You're spot on about the flimsy/not reliable part. It also does not appear to be meant for the california girl, or any girl for that matter. Seat height is somewhat high and extraordinarily wide, meaning only tall people will be comfortable moving their feet in and out to reach the ground, especially during a quick maneuver. It also doesn't look like there is a lot of travel in the suspension, which means heavy people won't like it either.

The (only) videos of it riding are pretty concerning too, you can see the models delicately balancing their shoes on the knife-edge frame rails. Makes you wonder what other stuff is hiding in the unfinished, poorly thought out design.
 
delayed till 2016 minimum.

Expect a limited launch followed by a quick recall
 
shadow said:
You're spot on about the flimsy/not reliable part. It also does not appear to be meant for the california girl, or any girl for that matter. Seat height is somewhat high and extraordinarily wide, meaning only tall people will be comfortable moving their feet in and out to reach the ground, especially during a quick maneuver. It also doesn't look like there is a lot of travel in the suspension, which means heavy people won't like it either.

The (only) videos of it riding are pretty concerning too, you can see the models delicately balancing their shoes on the knife-edge frame rails. Makes you wonder what other stuff is hiding in the unfinished, poorly thought out design.
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It's a scooter. It has a platform for one's feet that extends across the front. Your comment about balancing shoes on knife-edge frame rails therefore makes no sense at all. I'd be surprised if any scooters have substantial travel--they're 30 mph urban beasts, after all.

The weird things in my mind are the super tall bar height and the choice for an exposed screen. One can only hope that they tested it for weatherproofness.
 
It does make sense...

You would need to ride it for yourself to experience it, but you can clearly see that the riders feet are not comfortable where they are positioned. The flat area in the middle is a bit cramped, and people like to leave their feet right on the edge so that they are ready to put their feet down in the event of a stop or turn. There's a big lip (the frame rails) which prevents that, so instead, every video shows the rider avoiding this big lip and putting their feet directly on the frame, instead of in the middle.

The seat is also wide and has a big nose on it. It is not shaped like any kind of 2-wheel riding seat and thus does not promote legs being together and in the middle. In the "seat up" position, the entire situation gets much worse.

The high up bars are also very bad for vibration, besides the ergonomic issues.

The exposed screen is touch capacitive, meaning it will be a bear when there is any inclement weather. Additionally, you must be able to log to the screen to turn it on. So if you or anyone else ends up damaging the screen in any way, you will be stranded.
 
shadow said:
delayed till 2016 minimum.

Expect a limited launch followed by a quick recall
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BTW,
Genze has issued their first recall. Should not be a surprise, I hope nobody has been seriously hurt by one of these.
 
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