About 50 days ago, Vietnamese EV manufacturer VinFast signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu government, which was swiftly followed by a ground-breaking ceremony for a 400-acre EV manufacturing plant at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu on February 25, 2024. Now, the company has registered a design patent for one of its electric scooters in India.
- Top speed same as TVS iQube at 78kph
- Weighs 122kg, 760mm seat height
Incorporated in 2017, VinFast is best known for its premium electric cars, but the company also has a range of electric scooters on sale in its home market. One of those scooters is the Klara S, for which the company registered a design trademark in India.
The Klara S has a hub motor (1.8kW nominal power, 3kW peak power) and claims a top speed of 78kph, which is similar to the popular TVS iQube. The difference is that the Klara uses an LFP battery instead of Li-ion and has a capacity of 3.5kWh.
The company claims a range of 194km with a 65kg rider at a steady 30kph. LFP batteries are heavier than Li-ion, but VinFast has managed to keep weight down to 122kg. The Klara S gets a 14-inch front wheel as well as front and rear disc brakes. Boot size is 23 litres and the company claims a low 760mm seat height.
The VinFast Klara S electric scooter is priced at the equivalent of Rs 1.18 lakh in Vietnam, and it remains to be seen what kind of pricing the company can achieve in India if they do intend to launch this product here.