Walton Digi-Tech Industries Ltd, a concern of Walton Group, has launched Bangladesh's maiden electric bike in the market, jumping on the bandwagon of a global shift towards eco-friendly transportation.    

The electronics conglomerate received approval from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) on November 22 to market the electric bike under the brand name of Takyon.

Thus, it became the first company in the country to launch the two-wheelers in Bangladesh.

"Takyon-branded electric bikes have hit the market," said Liakat Ali, deputy managing director of Walton Digi-Tech Industries.

"This bike will cost riders only 10-15 paisa per kilometre."

The bike comes in three colours -- red, blue and grey -- and is priced at Tk 127,750. Apart from Walton's showrooms, Takyon bikes can be purchased through its website.

With the new bike, Walton made re-entry into the vast motorbike segment, which posted Tk 5,000 crore sales annually before the coronavirus pandemic. 

In the past, it manufactured conventional motorcycles in the range of 80cc to 100cc. But the company was compelled to shut the manufacturing plant after failing to sustain in the highly competitive market.

It comes at a time when the demand for eco-friendly bikes is going up across the world.

According to a report published by Next Move Strategy Consulting, an American firm, the global electric bike market generated $45.75 billion in 2021 and is estimated to generate $109.53 billion by 2030, posting an annual growth of 10.21 per cent in the current decade.

In Bangladesh, between 4 lakh and 5 lakh units of conventional bikes were sold annually on average in the last few years.

Walton says it is developing and marketing electric bikes to protect the environment and ensure safe transportation at a lower cost by cutting the use of fossil fuels. 

It has an annual manufacturing capacity of 2.5 lakh units.

Ali said that like conventional petrol and octane-run bikes, Walton's e-bikes can be registered with the BRTA for two or 10 years. The registration cost for electric bikes is lower than that of gasoline-operated bikes.

The electric bike has a powerful brushless DC motor with a maximum capacity of 1.5 kilowatts and it would cost Tk 10 per full charge, said Tauhidur Rahman Raad, chief business officer of Walton Digi-Tech Industries Limited.

"The bike will help riders travel up to 70km on a single charge. The maximum speed limit of the bike is 50km per hour."

The bike has a portable charger and can be charged at the household level.

Buyers will get free aftersales service for two years from Walton's designated service points, according to the company.