Today’s electric scooters offer ever-increasing range figures. For instance, the Ola S1 Pro, which we recently rode with its latest Move OS3 update incorporated, gave us a range of nearly 148km! And yet, there will still be situations where you’ll face both a lack of range, along with a lack of time (for charging your electric scooter/bike).

With exactly this in mind, Pune-based startup Elespa has created a conversion kit for petrol scooters. However, what sets this kit apart is that it offers electric-only as well as combined (electric and petrol) mode of travel along with the usual petrol-only mode.

At the moment, Elespa (a portmanteau of ‘electric’ and ‘spark’, like an ICE engine’s spark plug) has mounted the kit onto a stock TVS Jupiter 110. And here we lay out all the details around the hybrid scooter.

Motor -

The 10-inch hub-mounted motor, rated at 1.44kW (nominal) and 3.5kW (peak), has been designed in-house from CNC-machined components, and fits easily between the silencer and the tyre. Elespa claims an IP67 rating for the motor, which should help it withstand most weather conditions. Besides, it has a claimed heat resistance of up to 80 degrees celsius along with its casing featuring fins for improved heat dissipation. Both of these are especially important considering its proximity to the exhaust.

With the kit in place, and switched on via a simple household MCB switch located under the seat, the scooter switches on in pure electric mode. For a solo rider, the claimed top speed in pure electric mode is 60kmph, and about 55kmph with a pillion. Moreover, it also offers an option for a ‘boost mode’ where the motor works in conjunction with the petrol engine (switched on via the scooter’s ignition switch, on the fly), for quicker acceleration uphill or for overtaking. And finally, when you want to run on solely petrol power, pressing the apron-mounted button (with a blue backlight) switches off the electric motor.

Battery -

The motor works in conjunction with a removable 1.5kWh Lithium Ferro Phosphate battery. The battery can be accommodated either under the seat, or atop the floorboard within a custom-made casing. Elespa claims the battery is more efficient and reliable than a comparable Lithium ion battery, with a maximum operating temperature of 40 degrees Celsius and adequate heat resistance.

The battery can be charged up completely in a claimed four hours and offers a range of approximately 70km. Additionally, Elespa is currently working on a charging platform, which can be incorporated into your parking area, and by which the battery can be charged wirelessly!

Challenges faced -

The chief issue faced by Elespa is combating the bump in weight. While the battery weighs 16kg, the motor weighs 8kg, which brings the scooter's combined kerb weight close to 135kg. And considering the motor is bolted to the rear wheel and adds to the unsprung mass, Elespa is currently working on reducing the weight of the motor components, along with a retune to the suspension setup. Besides, the added torque from the rear wheel entails added reinforcement; in this regard Elespa has done a stop-gap arrangement of a metal brace.

Moreover, locating the battery under the seat robs the scooter of its underseat storage. Ditto with putting it on the floorboard. That said, as mentioned earlier, Elespa is in the process of making a more aesthetically agreeable housing for the battery, though that's still some time away.

Summing up

The final, and most important, part of the puzzle: price. Elespa claims a sticker price of Rs 60,000 (not including the donor scooter, of course) which isn’t cheap by any means. However, keep in mind this is the price for the one-off kit, which will reduce once Elespa brings the kit into commercial production; set to happen soon.

Ultimately, though, with the soaring prices of petrol – currently at Rs 106 per litre in Maharashtra – running a traditional scooter is already quite costly. Additionally, the regular maintenance schedule for an ICE scooter, such as periodic engine servicing and part replacements, further add up to the costs incurred.

Now, we realise wear and tear to mechanical components – such as suspension and brakes – is a given, irrespective of the scooter being electric or petrol-powered. However, an EV takes a big chunk (fuel expenses) out of the equation. On the other hand, the Elespa Hybrid Kit requires only a claimed 1.5 units of electricity – at a cost much lower than petrol – to cover close to 60km. And considering all this is possible without the niggling fear of range anxiety is the icing on the cake!

As volatile crude prices and West Asia-linked supply jitters revive concerns over petrol costs, Pune-based startup ELESPA HEV is betting on a ₹60,000 hybrid retrofit to break into the mass market, undercutting premium global offerings such as Kawasaki’s ₹9 lakh hybrid motorcycles.

Founded by engineer Prathamesh Choudhary and incubated at the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI), the venture marks one of the first ARAI-validated attempts to formalise hybrid retrofit solutions for India’s 210-million-strong two-wheeler fleet, a segment long dominated by unorganised “grey market” conversions.

ARAI, the Ministry of Heavy Industries’ testing agency, said such innovations are part of its mandate to support the shift towards zero-emission technologies, a focus area for its Advanced Mobility Transformation & Innovation Foundation (AMTIF). The government has contributed approximately ₹28.91 crore to an industry accelerator fund at ARAI, Pune, to support indigenous technology development, of which the start-up is a part.

The project took shape during the pandemic, when rising fuel costs and gaps in EV charging exposed the need for a practical middle path. That need is now resurfacing as fuel disruption concerns return, with the company accelerating a Maharashtra rollout and positioning low-cost hybrids as a hedge against supply volatility.

Global manufacturers such as Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Honda are investing in ground-up hybrid platforms that integrate engines, motors and transmissions through years of high-cost R&D. These systems rely on sophisticated electronic controls to manage petrol-electric switching and are positioned at the premium end, with limited relevance for cost-sensitive markets like India.

ELESPA, by contrast, is leveraging frugal engineering to deliver a plug-in series-parallel hybrid system that can be retrofitted onto existing petrol scooters and motorcycles. The company’s architecture works with existing engines and transmissions, using a patented dual-throttle mechanism that allows riders to switch or blend petrol and electric power depending on riding conditions. The configuration ensures the vehicle remains operational even if the battery is depleted, addressing a key limitation associated with electric mobility.

The system features a portable, swappable battery pack with a claimed electric-only range of up to 100 km per charge, along with connected features such as app-based monitoring and anti-theft functionality.

“We are moving from a subsidy-dependent EV model to a more self-sustaining hybrid approach,” Choudhary told BusinessLine, adding that the focus is on scaling the company’s homegrown technology before global OEMs localise their platforms.

Backed by ARAI validation, the startup is moving towards early deployments, prioritising an independent rollout despite interest from established two-wheeler makers. The retrofit kit, priced around ₹60,000, will be available through direct channels and authorised workshops.

According to company estimates, a typical two-wheeler user spends around ₹60,000 annually on fuel and maintenance. ELESPA claims its system can reduce running costs to about 12 paise per kilometre, implying a payback period of roughly one year.