New products from startups risk facing teething troubles, something that is quite evident in the EV industry
With promised benefits such as fuel cost savings and low maintenance, many people have chosen to invest in electric two-wheelers. However, there have been many cases where the overall experience hasn’t turned out as expected. A recent example involves Tork Kratos R electric motorcycle that has multiple complaints reported by owners.
Tork Kratos R – No fast-charging option
A group of early adopters of Tork Kratos R have staged a protest at the company’s headquarters in Pune. One of the primary complaints is the non-availability of fast charging. According to the early adopters, a fast charging option was listed as a feature. Also, owners were to get free fast charging for 2 years on the company’s fast charging network. The company had promised to provide fast charging port by March 2023. But the promise was not fulfilled.
Tork Motors has responded by saying that there’s an ongoing standardization process for regular and fast chargers for Light EVs in India. This step has been initiated by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). New owners of Kratos R are being provided with a standard charger and a modified charger that complies with new standards.
Early adopters of Kratos R are being given the same kit completely free of cost. Even when the market price of the entire package is around Rs 23,000 to Rs 25,000. The costs are incurred due to hardware and software changes including replacement of telematics and the ECU device. Dealers are contacting the early adopters individually to get the updated kit installed.
Owners will only need to pay Rs 800 + Taxes towards labour and service charge. There can be some delay, as getting the required parts is a challenge. For the FC port, the company is waiting for BCA (Bharat Charge Alliance) to finalize the type of common port. Early adopters will get the FC port after BCA’s final decision.
Kratos R chassis breakage issue
Some users have reported chassis breakage issue with Kratos R electric motorcycle. Tork Motors has taken cognizance of the issue and has introduced modifications to the chassis design. This will prevent the issue from occurring in newer bikes manufactured by the company. For older models facing chassis breakage issue, the company has promised to provide free replacements.
Non-existent high beam
Kratos R users have reported non-existent high beam problem. Tork has responded by saying that the motorcycle has passed all the necessary tests as conducted by certifying authorities. However, the company will still look into the suggestions and comments of owners. And will try to find a solution.
No portable chargers for early owners
Early adopters were provided with a wall-mounted charger. New Kratos R model has the portable charger that costs Rs 19,999. But early adopters cannot use this portable charger even if they are willing to pay for it. This again is due to the port mismatch issue. Early adopters who protested at the company’s headquarters are demanding quick resolution of these issues. They allege that the response so far has not been satisfactory. It remains to be seen how fast and effectively such issues can be resolved.
