<p>Betting big on e-mobility, tech-enabled self-ride two-wheeler rental service VOGO is all set to expand its service in Bengaluru and Hyderabad with an enhanced fleet of electric scooters in 2021.</p>.<p>With over 500 docking stations in the two cities, the platform has also launched 'VOGO Keep'.</p>.<p>VOGO Keep lets customers keep the vehicle for a minimum of 12 hours and a maximum of 60 days, the platform’s co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Anand Ayyadurai told <em>DH</em>. “Post-Covid, there has been a lot of demand for this service since people want to avoid sharing the vehicle with anybody,” he explained.</p>.<p>The platform has a fleet of about 20,000 vehicles in the two cities, with 70% in Bengaluru. In terms of trips, the service has recovered 75% of pre-lockdown levels, Ayyadurai informed.</p>.<p>But it is in the Electric Vehicle (EV) segment that VOGO wants to make a decisive impact. Currently, the platform has 350 EVs. “Next year, we will be primarily buying only EVs.” The idea is to leverage the emerging network of charging infrastructure and make the green shift.</p>.<p>To address the ‘range anxiety’ of EV users who often wonder how long the battery would last, VOGO has proposed to acquire vehicles with different ranges for different use cases. The platform is also in talks with companies that offer both charging and battery-swapping infrastructure.</p>.<p>Also on the platform’s agenda are more docking stations. “Even before Covid, we were present in most metro/bus stations. Our plan is to have more docking stations at points of interest such as malls, office spaces and commercial areas.”</p>.<p>Unlike other players who allowed customers to leave the hired vehicle anywhere, VOGO had mandated that the scooters can be taken and brought back only at docking stations. “We are the only ones who took the docking station approach as we pay for the parking area,” said Ayyadurai.</p>.<p>Launched in 2016 by the alumni of Indian Institutes of Technology and Management, Anand Ayyadurai, Padmanabhan Balakrishnan and Sanchit Mittal, VOGO has so far covered over 130 million kilometers and five million rides.</p>
<p>Betting big on e-mobility, tech-enabled self-ride two-wheeler rental service VOGO is all set to expand its service in Bengaluru and Hyderabad with an enhanced fleet of electric scooters in 2021.</p>.<p>With over 500 docking stations in the two cities, the platform has also launched 'VOGO Keep'.</p>.<p>VOGO Keep lets customers keep the vehicle for a minimum of 12 hours and a maximum of 60 days, the platform’s co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Anand Ayyadurai told <em>DH</em>. “Post-Covid, there has been a lot of demand for this service since people want to avoid sharing the vehicle with anybody,” he explained.</p>.<p>The platform has a fleet of about 20,000 vehicles in the two cities, with 70% in Bengaluru. In terms of trips, the service has recovered 75% of pre-lockdown levels, Ayyadurai informed.</p>.<p>But it is in the Electric Vehicle (EV) segment that VOGO wants to make a decisive impact. Currently, the platform has 350 EVs. “Next year, we will be primarily buying only EVs.” The idea is to leverage the emerging network of charging infrastructure and make the green shift.</p>.<p>To address the ‘range anxiety’ of EV users who often wonder how long the battery would last, VOGO has proposed to acquire vehicles with different ranges for different use cases. The platform is also in talks with companies that offer both charging and battery-swapping infrastructure.</p>.<p>Also on the platform’s agenda are more docking stations. “Even before Covid, we were present in most metro/bus stations. Our plan is to have more docking stations at points of interest such as malls, office spaces and commercial areas.”</p>.<p>Unlike other players who allowed customers to leave the hired vehicle anywhere, VOGO had mandated that the scooters can be taken and brought back only at docking stations. “We are the only ones who took the docking station approach as we pay for the parking area,” said Ayyadurai.</p>.<p>Launched in 2016 by the alumni of Indian Institutes of Technology and Management, Anand Ayyadurai, Padmanabhan Balakrishnan and Sanchit Mittal, VOGO has so far covered over 130 million kilometers and five million rides.</p>
