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Consumer Awareness and Perception towards E-bikes

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Topic of study was “A STUDY ON CONSUMER AWARENESS AND


PERCEPTION TOWARDS GENXT ELECTRIC BIKES”

GENXT POWER (INDIA) LTD was incorporated on September 26, 2002,


having its registered office in Mumbai and its manufacturing unit at Vasai.
Genxt has assembled various innovative technologies to manufacture the first
Electric Two-wheeler to serve the personal and commercial need of the
prospective Indian consumer.

The crowning glory of the company’s remarkable success is the fact that now it
has become a full fledged limited company i.e. GENXT Power India Ltd. It has
been always believed customer as an important stock holder in business.
Therefore consumer awareness is of prime importance to the organization. The
objective of the study was to know about the awareness of electric bikes among
the people and what is the perception of the users about the bikes is and to
explore how the sale of electric bike can be increased.

The data collected for the project was based on primary and secondary data. The
sample size selected for the survey was 100. The primary data collected through
questionnaire. The survey was conducted for 4 weeks and data was collected
from direct questionnaire and interview. The collected data was analyzed and
interpreted to obtain the conclusion by using graphical representation.

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Consumer Awareness and Perception towards E-bikes

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

With increasing in air pollution in urban areas and scarcity of fuels Electric
Bikes is in great demand but it is not used by most of the people because of lack
of awareness. Thus the purpose of the study is to study the awareness level of
consumers towards E-Bikes and also the perception of the users. Thus by
creating awareness we can enhance the sales of Electric Bikes

The objectives of the study are;

• To find out the awareness of consumer about the electric bikes.


• To find out the reason why consumer prefers to electric bike.
• To find out the factor influencing the sales of electric bike.
• To know the users perception about electric bikes.
To suggest measures to increase sales of electric bikes.

SAMPLING DESIGN:

Sampling unit : Users of two wheelers in north Karnataka

Sampling size : 100

Sampling method : Non probability

Sampling technique : Convenience sampling

MAJOR FINDINGS

• It was found that most of the customers are not much satisfied with the
price of the product, and Price quoted by the companies has affected the
customer satisfaction to a great deal.

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Consumer Awareness and Perception towards E-bikes

• It was found that most of the customers were satisfied with the mileage of
the Electric bikes and are convinced about the electric bike benefits and
were willing to refer it to their friends.

• It was found that most of the customers are not satisfied with after sales
service. It shows that customers are dissatisfied about after sale service.

• It was found that maximum number of the customers feel the speed of
the Electric bikes to be very low and were not satisfied with the current
speed of the bikes.

• It was found that most of the respondents feel that the factors such as
speed & power, battery life and appearance of Electric Bikes are the
main reasons for its lower market share.

MAJOR SUGGESTIONS:

• There are only few advertisements in newspapers and TVs. Thus


maximum advertisements need to be put up in these Medias as they
reach wider audiences.

• The price of the electric bikes need to be decreased it can be done by


adopting sophisticated technologies and carrying out mass productions or
some discounts on price or offers should be given in order to increase
the sales.

• More number of service centres need to be opened at least in major areas


to cater to the problems & needs of the customers when needed.

• As most of the people prefer high speed the speed of the electric bikes
need to be improved so as to increase the sales of the E-Bikes.

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Consumer Awareness and Perception towards E-bikes

• Promotional activities should be increased to create awareness and


increase the sales. Like it should be displayed in auto shows and to
attract more youths demonstrations and special offers should be given to
college students.

LIMITATIONS TO THE STUDY:

Some of the limitations of the study may be summarised as follows

 An underlying assumption for entire project is that the details and


feedback received from population are true.

 It was difficult to find respondents as they were busy in their


schedules and collection of data was very difficult. Therefore study
had to be carried out based on availability of respondents.

 Some of the respondents were not ready to fill the questionnaire and
some of them not ready to come out openly.

 Also the sample size of 100 may not truly represent whole
population.

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Consumer Awareness and Perception towards E-bikes

2. INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPT

Marketing:

It is defined by the American marketing association as the activity, set of


institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and
exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and
society at large. The term developed from the original meaning which referred
literally to going to market, ass in shopping, or going to a market to sell goods
or services.

Awareness:

It is a term referring to the ability to perceive, to feel, or to be conscious of


events, objects or patterns, which does not necessarily imply understanding. In
biological psychology, awareness comprises a human’s or an animal’s
perception and cognitive reaction to a condition or event.

E-BIKE:
An Electric Bike or Scooter is a battery operated vehicle that is very economical
with low maintenance cost and zero pollution. Electric two wheelers use the
electrical technology of rechargeable battery that converts the electrical energy
into mechanical energy. The battery of an EV can be charged easily using a
power connection. There are many possible types of electric motorized bicycles
with several technologies available, varying in cost and complexity; direct-drive
and geared motor units are both used. An electric power-assist system may be
added to almost any pedal cycle using chain drive, belt drive, hub motors or
friction drive. The power levels of motors used are influenced by available legal
categories and are often limited to under 700 watts.

Electric bicycles use rechargeable batteries, electric motors and some form of

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Consumer Awareness and Perception towards E-bikes

control. This can be a simple as an on-off switch but is more usually an


electronic pulse width modulation control. Electric bicycles developed in
Switzerland in the late 1980s for the Tour de Sol solar vehicle race came with
solar charging stations but these were later fixed on roofs and connected so as to
feed into the electric mains.[13] The bicycles were then charged from the mains,
as is common today. Battery systems in use include lead-acid, NiCd, NiMH and
Li-ion batteries.
Electric motorized bicycles can be power-on-demand, where the motor is
activated by a handlebar mounted throttle, and/or a pedelec (from pedal
electric), also known as electric assist, where the electric motor is regulated by
pedalling. These have a sensor to detect the pedalling speed, the pedalling force,
or both. An electronic controller provides assistance as a function of the sensor
inputs, the vehicle speed and the required force. Most controllers also provide
for manual adjustment.
Range is a key consideration with electric bikes, and is affected by factors such
as motor efficiency, battery capacity, efficiency of the driving electronics,
aerodynamics, hills and weight of the bike and rider. The range of an electric
bike is usually stated as somewhere between 7 km (uphill on electric power
only) to 70 km (minimum assistance) and is highly dependent on whether or not
the bike is tested on flat roads or hills.[14] Some manufacturers, such as the
Canadian BionX or American E+ (manufactured by Electric Motion Systems),
have the option of using regenerative braking, the motor acts as a generator to
slow the bike down prior to the brake pads engaging.[15] This is useful for
extending the range and the life of brake pads and wheel rims. There are also
experiments using fuel cells. e.g. the PHB. Some experiments have also been
undertaken with super capacitors to supplement or replace batteries for cars and
some SUVS.

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Consumer Awareness and Perception towards E-bikes

The energy costs of operating electric bicycles are small, but there can be
considerable battery replacement costs. Riding an electric bicycle to work or to
the store instead of taking a car has long term financial gains. Solar power is
possible when charging an electric bicycle.

WHY E-Bikes:

Global warming is a major concern all around and to save Mother Earth, there
are several policies, promises and pledges. With the ever increasing emission of
greenhouse gases, there is an increased fear of environment pollution at every
step. With modern technology and innovation, transportation and
communication have undergone a paradigm shift. Along with this, we are also
experiencing the negative effects of industrialization in the form of global
warming. Under these circumstances, when there are traffic jams, when you
need to run an errand at an odd hour of the day, when you need to go to
workplace quickly, you stumble and fumble as there are so many vehicles
emitting soot and CO2 polluting the air incessantly. With increased number of
fossil-fuel dependent vehicles, they not only add to greater level of pollution but
are also leading to depletion of fuel resource. It is here that automobile
companies felt the need to innovate motorized vehicle that will get charged
through electricity and will not be depending on fossil fuels.

This led to expansion of eco-friendly initiatives and many automobile


manufacturing companies invested in research and development to bring forth
electric bikes that will help people save a few bucks by reducing consumption
of already spiraling fuel price, besides fighting global warming. Most electric
bikes are emission-free bikes and this is the USP of the company’s
manufacturing them in these days of global warming. It will not add to urban

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pollution. The only thing required is to keep this bike charged with a battery.
Electric bike manufacturing is considered as a grass root movement away from
fossil fuels.

Definitely, electric bikes are not the only answer to our environment problem,
but it definitely will help us to treat environment better. These electric bikes will
not make pollution worse and that makes e bikes environmentally safe vehicle.
It can be charged with the help of inverter and generator too. In one
charge, these electric bikes can go up to 50km and has no tail pipe emissions. It
also makes no noise while under operation. The best part of electric vehicles is
that they can be run with no registration and license.

In the manufacture and production of electric bikes, the main constraint is the
battery in the bumpy roads. Batteries get deteriorated at a fast rate due to
excessive current fluctuation. Batteries need frequent replacement and that is
the greatest concern for the most Indian companies who manufacture these
electric bikes. The replacement cost of the batteries hover around Rs. 5000, but
otherwise the maintenance cost of electric bikes is almost negligible.
There is a growing market potential of electric bikes in India; however, speed
might not be the attractive feature of these e-bikes, they will cater you to run the
short distances maybe home to office or home to college; but these are safer
vehicles with benefit of almost no pollution. So instead of kicking a 100 cc
motorbike, just press the start button of electric bike and vroom your way
friendly on the roads.

It is evident that electric bikes can reduce the air pollution. But there are also
some environmental problems caused due to these electric bikes. Disposal of

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worn out batteries can be a cause of major concern for environmentalists. If this
can be addressed, electric bikes can definitely reduce environment pollution.

Benefits Of Genxt E -Scooty Vis-A-Vis Ic Engine


Scooters

Particulars Electric Scooty Ic Engine Scooter

Weight of the
75 kgs 84 kgs
scooty

Range (Kms) /
65/ Charge 50 / Ltr.
Litre of Petrol

Cost / 100 Kms Rs. 6.00 Rs. 110 (2 Ltrs)

Cost of Fuel :
Rs. 0.06 Rs. 2.00
Rs/Km

Cost of Fuel -
Power over 1.800.00 33000
30,000 Kms in Rs

Service and 1,000.00 9,000.00


Maintainance
over 30,000 Kms,

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Consumer Awareness and Perception towards E-bikes

Rs

Battery
Replacement 10000 set of 4 --
over 30,000 Kms, batteries N.A. --
Rs

Total Expense
towards fuel for 12,800.00 42,000.00
30,000 Kms, Rs

Cost of Scooter
Ex Showroom 29980 32,000.00
(Rs)

Registeration
--N.A.-- 620
(Rs)

Registeration Tax
--N.A.-- 2,480.00
(Rs)

Insurance (Rs) 478 809

Handling (Rs) 100 100

Total Investment
30,558.00 36,009.00
on Scooter (Rs)

Total Investment
+ Running cost
43,358.00 78,009.00
for 30,000 Kms
(Rs)

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GENXT POWER INDIA LIMITED

Features of Electric Bikes and Scooters:

Electric bikes or scooters, light in weight, trendy, efficient and eco-friendly, are
becoming potent alternative to the conventional two-wheelers and the Electric
two-wheeler industry in India is developing at rapid speed.
Have a look at the unavoidable advantages of Electric Bikes and Scooters :

• Licence and registration is not required for E Bikes and Scooters.


• Electric two wheelers run on re-chargeable battery and uses electricity as
fuel in place of conventional Petrol/Diesel.
• E Bikes and Scooters can beat the rising prices of Petrol/Diesel.
• Simple design, light weight and economical Electric vehicles are very
low in running and maintenance cost.
• With the ease of handling, Electric two wheelers saves the commuting
time in congested roads specially in urban areas.
• Electric vehicles are more efficient in terms of generating usable energy
from their electric engine's battery in comparison to the regular fuel
conversion. In this way E Bikes and Scooters are innovative and efficient
mode of personal transport.
• Electric bikes or scooters use electricity therefore no emission of harmful
gases like Carbon dioxide (CO2) or Nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Major Components of an Electric Bike or Scooter:


ELECTRIC HUB MOTOR to drive the rear wheel directly and there are two
types of Electric Hub Motor i.e. DC Brush Motor and DC Brush less motor
having two basic parts namely Permanent Magnet Stator and Wound Rotor.

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ELECTRONIC MOTOR CONTROLLER is the central controlling unit of


any Electric two wheeler provides electric power to the motor based on inputs
from the accelerator.
ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR sends electronic signals to the Electronic
Motor Controller to manoeuvre the bike or scooter.
BATTERY PACK is like the fuel tank of E Bike or Scooter. There are
different kinds of batteries like Lead Acid, Nickel Metal Hydrate (Ni-MH),
Lithium, etc. that are used for supplying energy.
BATTERY CHARGER is used to charge the battery pack of E Bikes or
Scooters, just like a mobile phone or a laptop. Some battery chargers are in-built
and some are separate that carried always on the move. The charger converts an
AC supply to DC to store power in the battery and it can be used with any
normal domestic AC plug point. This makes charging of battery pack easy and
convenient.

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3. INDUSTRY PROFILE:

The face of auto industry that was redefined with the invention of fuel-efficient
four-stroke engine technology is all set to see dawn of a new era in two-wheeler
industry. It's not petrol or diesel or any other fuel, but its electricity that have
initiated a revolution in two-wheeler industry in India.
Indian two-wheeler industry has embraced the new concept of Electric Bikes
and Scooters that are very popular mode of personal transport in the developed
countries like America, Japan and China. With the rising cost of fuel at
International and national level, increasing levels of pollution and congestion in
transport system specially in Urban areas, higher running and maintenance cost
of vehicle, the electrically charged bikes or scooters have very bright future in
area of personal transportation.
“It is estimated that India’s fossil fuel dependency on other countries currently
from 70% to 82% in 2012. If we can have three lakh Electric Vehicles on the
roads by 2020, including three-wheelers, cars, and scooters, this could result in
a reduction of over 16 lakh metric tons of CO, NOx and HC by 2020
, savings of over Rs 3,700 crore in foreign exchange and significant health costs
savings”
Economic conditions around the world have been very encouraging.
Global growth is increasing year by year .While the Chinese economy is

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growing at around 10% without any signs of slow down, the Indian economy is
also continuing to grow at more than 8%. In the coming years, and Indian
economy will be booming owing to the heavy demand on infrastructure. Energy
sector is growing by leaps and bounds as it is receiving the highest attention of
both the State Governments and Central Government.

India has moved from an agrarian economy to a manufacturing economy. The


manufacturing sector now contributes around one-fourth of the total GDP and
the industrial output has now crossed USD 65 Billion in value.Global steel
production is continuing its growth. In spite of some control measures adopted
by Chinese Government the crude steel registered an impressive growth and has
crossed 450 million tons. India is also witnessing a huge growth in steel
production and it is expected that steel industry will continue to grow by more
than 12% per annum.

Sustainable economic growth of India as well as rest of the world will


depend on effective energy planning. Nearly 40% of the world’s energy comes
from petroleum. Natural gas contributes to another 20% and these two natural
resources account for 60% of the world’s energy. The growth in consumption of
oil and natural gas in the past has been such that the consumption has been
doubling every 15 years. This trend is likely to continue and will lead to
complete depletion of natural resources in next 30 years. It is significant to note
that more than 20% of the world’s total primary energy is consumed in
transportation. There are more than 410 million cars currently in the world and
in another 20 years the automobile population will reach one billion mark. It is
also significant to note that after 1970 the new oil discoveries have been very
few and any new discoveries will not make any significant contribution to the
world’s energy pool.

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Transportation sector which consumes a large share of energy resource of the


country also contributes significantly towards pollution. So the main mission is
to provide vehicles which are emission free, which do not use petroleum
products and which are inexpensive to acquire and operate. Our launch of
battery operated Bikes has been highly successful and Genxt is now developing
several new vehicles for the Indian market. Our launch in India has developed
interest for our vehicles for international market also and in the future we will
be exporting these vehicles to other countries. Genxt will continue to provide
leadership in this segment by delivering innovative, cost effective, practical and
environmental friendly electric vehicles.

Economic and environmental forces are frequently pitted against each other
and many a times the financial cost of environmentally friendly technologies
and goods is so high that one has to strike a balance or look for Government
subsidies. Our Electric Vehicles are unique in this aspect as they are not only
economical but also environment friendly.

ORIGIN AND HISTORY:

Most People are not aware of how long electric bicycles have been around you
might think its something new since the recent fuel shortage and cost spikes we
all hate, or even because of Global Warming and the whole go green awareness.
But not true although it might be one reason for their recent surge in popularity
also the technology has improved 10 fold.In the 1890s, electric bicycles were
documented within various U.S. patents. For example, on 31 December 1895
Ogden Bolton Jr. was granted U.S. Patent 552,271 for a battery-powered
bicycle with “6-pole brush-and-commutator direct current (DC) hub motor
mounted in the rear wheel.” There were no gears and the motor could draw up
to 100 amperes (A) from a 10-V battery.

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Two years later, in 1897, Hosea W. Libbey of Boston invented an electric


bicycle (U.S. Patent 596,272) that was propelled by a “double electric motor.”
The motor was designed within the hub of the crankshaft axle. This model was
later re-invented and imitated in the late 1990s by Giant Lafree electric bicycles.
By 1898 a rear wheel drive electric bicycle, which used a driving belt along the
outside edge of the wheel was patented by Mathew J. Steffens. Also, the 1899
U.S. Patent 627,066 by John Schnepf depicted a rear wheel friction “roller-
wheel” style drive electric bicycle.Schnepf's invention was later re-examined
and expanded in 1969 by G.A. Wood Jr. with his U.S. Patent 3,431,994.
Wood’s device used 4 fractional horsepower motors; each rated less than ½
horsepower and connected through a series of gears.
Torque sensors and power controls were developed in the late 1990s. For
example, Takada Yutky of Japan filed a patent in 1997 for such a device. In
1992 Vector Services Limited offered and sold an electric bicycle dubbed Zike.
The bicycle included Nickel-cadmium batteries that were built into a frame
member and included an 850 g permanent-magnet motor. Despite the Zike, in
1992 hardly any commercial electric bicycles were available. It wasn’t until
1998 when there were at least 49 different bikes. Production grew from 1993 to
2004 by an estimated 35%. By Contrast, according to Gardner, in 1995 regular
bicycle production decreased from its peak 107 million units. Some of the less
expensive electric bicycles used bulky lead acid batteries, whereas newer
models generally used NiMH, NiCd and/or Li-ion batteries which offered
lighter, denser capacity batteries. The end benefits usually varied from
manufacturer; however, in general there was an increase in range and speed. By
2004 electric bicycles where manufactured by Currie Technologies, EV Global,
Optibike, Giante Lite, Merida, ZAP.
Electric bicycles are very common in many cities of eastern China, such as

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Yangzhou; in some areas they may outnumber motorcycles or regular bicycles


By 2001 the terms, E-Bikes, power bike, pedelec, assisted bicycle and power-
assisted bicycle where commonly used to describe electric bicycles. E-bike,
according to Google, is a term that has increased in trend. This term generally
referred to an electric bicycle which used a throttle. The terms Electric
Motorbike or E-Motorbike have been used to describe more powerful models
which attain up to 80 km/h. PEDEGO Electric Bicycles are taking the nation by
storm, offering a stylish, and colourful electric bikes that use a throttle control
for power.
In a parallel hybrid motorized bicycle, such as the aforementioned 1897
invention by Hosea W. Libbey, human and motor inputs are mechanically
coupled either in the bottom bracket, the rear or the front wheel, whereas in a
(mechanical) series hybrid cycle, the human and motor inputs are coupled
through differential gearing. In an (electronic) series hybrid cycle, human power
is converted into electricity and is fed directly into the motor and mostly
additional electricity is supplied from a battery.
Pedelec is a European term that generally referred to an electric bicycle that
incorporated a torque and/or a speed sensor and/or a power controller that
delivered a proportionate level of assist and only ran when the rider pedalled.
On the opposite side, a Noped is a term used by the Ministry of Transportation
of Ontario for similar type vehicles which do not have pedals or in which the
pedals have been removed from their motorized bicycle. Finally, Assist Bicycle
is the technical term used to describe such a vehicle and Power-Assisted Bicycle
is used in the Canadian Federal Legislation, but is carefully defined to only
apply to electric motor assist, and specifically excludes internal combustion
engines (though this is not the case in the United States).
Today, China is the world's leading producer of electric bicycles. According to

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the data of the China Bicycle Association, a government-chartered industry


group, in 2004 China's manufacturers sold 7.5 million electric bicycles
nationwide, which was almost twice the year 2003 sales; domestic sales reached
10 million in 2005, and 16 to 18 million in 2006.[8] By 2007, electric bicycles
were thought to make up 10 to 20 percent of all two-wheeled vehicles on the
streets of many major cities. A typical unit requires 8 hours to charge the
battery, which provides the range of 25–30 miles (40–50 km),[8] at the speed of
around 20 km/h.
A large number of such vehicles is exported from China as well (3 million units,
worth 40 billion yuan ($5.8 billion), in the year 2006 alone)
We are looking at practical and true figures of current Indian markets. Current
year 2009-10 will end up with Indian total e-bikes sales at 120K bikes. Every
year market is expected to rise initially by 100% and then by 200%. A lots of
bikes we will see on the road in coming 5 years, just like bicycles and petrol
scooters. As people started accepting the technology and limitations of e-bikes,
a definite positive trends has started now. Due to collective efforts by
manufacturers, Ads, PRs, dealership networks hard work, people accepting e-
bikes in a middle segment between bicycle and petrol scooter. If you see both
ends i.e. bicycles and petrol bikes are showing very attractive sales figures. The
middle segment of e-bikes has turned now to enter in the high growth curve.
Electric Bikes companies are highly optimistic about the e-bikes future.
According to a survey India may surpass china in numbers of e-bikes sale by 6-
8 years.

Indian manufacturers of electric bikes, or e-bikes, are gearing up for what they
call a second wave of growth for these “plug and ply” bikes. They say they are
on the verge of launching faster versions of their bikes and this would blunt the
edge of traditional two-wheeler bikes in the country. Electric bikes operate on a

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chargeable battery and do not require petrol to operate.All the e-bikes today do
not require registration or license. This means they have to follow certain
statutory norms that specify that the speed of such two-wheelers should not be
more than 25kmph.

“Some of the e- bikes companies are now all set to launch a new e-bike—that
would have an engine of 750 watts, compared with 250 watt engines that
existing e-bikes have. It would require registration and license to ride and the
average speed would be 35-40 kmph. This would help explode the demand for
e-bikes in India,” says Avinash Bhandari, director of Ahmedabad-based
Electrotherm (India) Ltd one of the major Electric bikes manufacturers, He says
“The real game would begin when we launch our high powered engine e-bike to
compete with TVS Scooty Pep+ and Honda Activa”. Citing the reason for the
new models, Bhandari said that potential buyers were apprehensive as they
believed that a scooter has to look like a scooter and must carry more weight at
higher speeds. “To a common user, performance and affordability is important.
It does not matter what fuel is being used or no fuel is being used,” he added.

Ganesh Mahalingam, managing director of Ultra Motors Co., another entity that
manufactures e-bike in joint venture with Hero Electric of Hero Cycles group,
says that they too are working on a faster electric vehicle that would have a
speed of about 50-70kmph. “It would take us six more months but remember
that the electric bike market has come of age only in last six months as, unlike
in the west where e-bike is a lifestyle product and for some an environment
friendly technology, in India it is an economical mode of transportation.
Primarily it is an aam admi (common man) vehicle as it is 10 times cheaper to
operate an electric two-wheeler that the traditional petrol bike,” Mahalingam
said.

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Hero Cycles Ltd, like Electrotherm, launched its range of Hero electric ultra-
powered electric two-wheelers in seven variants of e-bikes and e-scooters
branded as Hero Electric and priced between Rs14,300 and Rs19,000. The e-
scooters are in the range of Rs22,000-28,000. With no organized body to
represent these manufacturers, industry players guess that there are between 75
and 80 players manufacturing e-bikes in India.

Still, key hurdles remain for the e-bike industry.One of the major issues is that
many small players are flooding the markets with a product that doesn’t meet
statutory requirements. “They are not supposed to have a speed of over 25kmph,
but many do as they use a motor of higher capacity. Some of them launch their
vehicle and also give warranty but do not have adequate dealer or service
network. They also do not have spare parts. All this creates a very negative
image in the minds of people and can badly affect the growth of this industry in
the medium and long run,” claims Bhandari.

Electric bike manufactures are hoping that the creation of a strong dealer
network and service support will help make a dent in the conventional two-
wheeler market.

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4. COMPANY PROFILE:

The crowning glory of the company’s remarkable success is the fact that now it
has become a full fledged limited company i.e GENXT Power India Ltd. It has
been always believed customer as an important stock holder in business.
Therefore consumer awareness is of prime importance to the organization. The
objective of the study was to know about the awareness of electric bikes among
the people and what is the perception of the users about the bikes and to explore
how the sale of electric bike can be increased

GENXT POWER (INDIA) LIMITED , was incorporated on September 26,


2002, having its registered office in Mumbai and its manufacturing unit at
Vasai. Genxt has assembled various innovative technologies to manufacture the
first Electric Two-wheeler to serve the personal and commercial need of the
prospective Indian consumer.

Genxt Power India Ltd, is a Mumbai based public limited company in the
business of manufacturing and marketing of electric vehicles. It has been in the
business of manufacturing and selling Electric Bikes since 2002. Main aim of
the company is to provide cost- effective, environmentally friendly, stress-free,
personal transport for work and recreation.
As one of the well-known and professional manufacturers and exporters of
electric bikes field, we are dedicated to producing the highest quality electric
bicycles and tricycles as well as top normal bicycles not electric, the company
uses only quality parts putting all our bikes together! Company is committed to

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providing its customers with the best quality and after service which will lead to
our client's flourish development. Meanwhile, the company always focus on the
details and ready to make any slightest changes which are required to meet our
client's satisfaction. Because it deeply realize that the ability to dominate the
market for electric bicycles will be won in the small details. All the production
procedures strictly comply with ISO 9001-2000 standards.
The company has its own IPS Technology (Integrated propulsion system). The
company draws great strengths from its technological developments and patents
in the related fields.

Patents:

Genxt holds patents for ‘Lead Plastic Composite grid for Rechargeable Lead
Acid Accumulator (battery), ‘Inverter Circuit’, and ‘Rear Guard’ under Paris
Convention.

Battery Technology
The company possess Patents for Plastic grid Bi-Polar Batteries which are
designed to get charged to 90% of its capacity in about 20 minutes.
Charger Technology
The float cum boost technology has been used in our chargers so that when the
charger is connected to the battery the output first goes to the boost charging
mode and thus the battery will charge faster unlike that in a plain float charger.

Mechanics and Mechanical design


The world patented product ‘Rear Guard’ prevents a vehicle from rolling back
on slope. The concept of this patent is used in drive mechanism of our electric
vehicles. A four stroke IC engine without piston and cylinders is also developed
for the hybrid model of our Ev’s.

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The most important differentiator of our technology is high density power


batteries, fast charging mechanism and dependable and reliable electronic
gadgets like charger and controller.

Future Plans
The Company plans to introduce variants of electric vehicles in 2 and 3 wheeler
segment and also wish to foray in Hybrid vehicles.

VISION, MISSION & QUALITY POLICY:

Vision
“To create an economically viable, noise and pollution free environment with
the launch of battery powered Electric two wheeler and to be product leader
through the state of art manufacturing technologies & processes”
The Quality Is the Essence of Business; the Credibility Is the Way to Succes
Mission
Develop and provide metallurgical equipment, products and service at
competitive prices, integrating best manufacturing practices and providing
innovative and eco friendly technologies and products for the benefit of the
society.
Core Values:

• Business ethics

• Customer Focus

• Professional pride

• Mutual Respect

• Speed and innovation

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• Excellence in manufacturing

• Total quality

Corporate Objectives:

Business Portfolio Growth:

o To further consolidate Genxt position as a leading supplier of metallurgical


equipment in national and international market.

o To grow its engineering capabilities by providing turnkey solutions to the


customers and implement projects from concept to full commercialization.

o To diversify across the electric vehicle business to become a leading player in


battery operated vehicles in the country.

o To establish a strong product and services brand in the domestic and


international market.

Customer Focus:

o To develop a special relationship with customers to ensure not only customer


delight but customer success.

o To expand the relationship with existing customers by offering additional


services in engineering, energy conservation strategies, environment protection
technologies and best operating practices.

o To expand the customer base by providing them with newer products.

o To use customer feedback for design improvement and new product


development.

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Dynamic Corporation:

o To develop an agile and effective organization which adopts and adapts to the
changes in business environment by continuously assessing the opportunities
and encashing them and evaluating the threats to mitigate them.

o To develop a learning organization having technology based competitive edge


in current businesses and future initiatives.

Performance:

o To continuously improve the performance with emphasis on cycle time


reduction and cost control in order to sustain long term competitiveness.

o To improve on project execution time and cost to ensure long term viability.

o To operate and maintain the manufacturing facilities at par with the best-run
engineering and metallurgical companies in the world with respect to
productivity,equipment availability, operational reliability and product quality.

o To achieve quality by embedding the best practices in all systems and


processes.

Human Resource Development:

o To enhance commitment of employees by rewarding and recognizing superior


performance.

o To imbibe a culture of team building, innovation, empowerment and openness


in order to align all individuals towards the company’s goals.

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o To build and sustain a learning organization of competent world class


engineers and professionals.

Financial Soundness:

o To continuously strive to reduce cost of capital through prudent deployment


of funds.

o To develop sound commercial policies which ensure reasonable returns and


remuneration.

Environment Protection:

o To contribute to reduction in global warming and pollution by encouraging


and developing environmental friendly technologies and products.

o To become a lead player in developing electric and hybrid electric vehicles


which not only lead to cleaner cities but also will reduce consumption of liquid
fuel which is largely imported by the country.

Research & Development:

o To continue efforts in developing cost effective, reliable and efficient


technologies for Indian and overseas customers.

o To pass on the benefit of Research & Development to the customers.

o To carry out research in development of alternate fuels and technologies

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PRODUCTS PROFILE:

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Tricycle Freedom Buggy

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AREA OF OPERATION:

GENXT POWER INDIA LTD is mainly situated in Mumbai. The company was
started in 2003 and it is gradually expanding nationally and globally. In
Karnataka the company markets it’s through the authorised consignee
Mahashoda Marketing, Hubli who market the bikes through Distributors
situated in Gadag, Dharwad, Bagalkot, Davangere, Shirsi etc and it is still
expanding its bases to other urban areas.

COMPETITORS:

Electrotherm India Limited: Manufacturer, exporter and supplier of electric


bikes, hybrid electric bikes, hybrid electric vehicles, YO bykes, YO exl bykes,
YO speed bykes, battery bikes, no petrol bikes, YO electron ER, YO style, YO
electric bikes and YO smart.

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Emmel Wheelers: Manufacturer and supplier of electric bike, electric powered


bike, battery operated electric bike, rechargeable electric bicycles, eco friendly
electric bicycles and two wheeler electric bicycles.
Euro II Services: Distributor of a range of electric bikes.

Paradise Electro Auto: Manufacturer, supplier and exporter of electric bike.


Mankoo Manufacturing Co: Manufacturer and exporter of electric bikes.
Vijaya Value Electric Pvt. Ltd: Deals in manufacture of bike, electric bike,
electronic bike, self start electric bike, eco friendly bike and electric two
wheeler. Also supplies electric scooter, electronic scooter and self start two
wheeler.

Crazy E- Bike: Leading exporters and manufacturers of electric bike, high


speed electric bike, stylish electric bike, electric motorized bike, electric power
bike, electric powered bike, electrical bike, electronic bike and battery operated
bike.
Hero Electric: One of the India’s top Manufacturers of electric bikes.

S. L. S. S. Group: Wholesale exporter of electric bike.

The company ownership pattern:

ThePromoters

Mr. Laxmi Narayan Singh, age 43 years, comes from Science faculty. He has
25 years experience in the functional area of business development, marketing
and sales. He is extremely proficient, having worked with multinationals like
Pepsi, in devising marketing strategies, dealer network, budgets, targets, etc

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Mrs. Kamini Kanekar, age 28 years, comes from Commerce faculty and has
about 10 years business experience. She is the main financial arm of the project
and comes from a business family from Surat.

AdvisoryPanel:

Dr. Vishwas Panse, age 46 years, is a B. Com., L.L.B., M.A. (Economics),


A.C.S., A.I.I.A. (U.S.A.) and Ph.D. (U.K.) in Business Management. He is an
ex - IDBI Executive and has over 20 years experience covering diverse
functions like Corporate Law, Finance and Management.

Dr. M. S. Satyanarayana, age 55 years, is a B. E. (Mech.), M. Sc. (Engg.). He


has expertise in Batteries and was associated with Aircraft Design Bureau,
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Bangalore. He was awarded the Ph.D. for his
research work for his Thesis (Titled ‘Development of Light-weight Lead-acid
Battery’) comprising mechanical, electrical and electro-chemical streams of
engineering for the development of Battery Operated Electric Vehicles.

Mr. Shankar Menon, age 55 years, is an IAS retired, ex-Additional Chief


Secretary of Government Of Maharashtra.

Mr. Kamlesh Mehta, age 45 years, B.Com, FCA, Senior Chartered Accountant
with 20 years experience in Corporate Audit, Taxation and allied matters.

Mr. R. Subramaniam, age 52 years, is a B. Com., M.B.A., Member of


Consultancy Development Centre, Delhi. selected as a potential candidate of

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WHO’s WHO Historical Society of Boston USA, Professor in SIES Institute of


Management Studies. TROT Graduate for Indian Junior Chamber.

5. McKinsey’s Seven ‘S’ Model

The seven S framework first appeared in “the art of Japanese Management” by


Richard Pascal and Antony Athos in 1981 they had been looking at how
Japanese industry has been so successful, at around the same time that Tom
Peters and Robert Waterman were exploring what made a company excellent.
The Seven S model was born at a meeting of the four authors in 1978. It went

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on to appear in “In search of excellence” By the Global Management


Consultancy McKinsey hence known as McKinsey’s Seven ‘S’ Model.

Managers, they said, need to take account of all seven of the factors to be sure
of successful implementation of a strategy – large or small .the ot5hers crash
around you. Fail to pay proper attention to one of them it can bring the others
crashing around you. And the relative importance of each factor will vary over
time and you cannot always tell how that’s changing. Like a lot of these models,
there’s a good dose of common sense here, but the seven S framework is useful
way of checking that you have covered all the bases.

The “Seven S”(7s) method of examining and understanding companies is a


well-known tool available to managers, providing a succinct overview of the
organisation. Having a broader view of a firm is important from a strategic,
marketing, organizational behaviour and competitive perspective.

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At the highest level, the framework illustrates that the management, structure
and strategy of an organization relates through a complex network of
interdependent factors within the organization, each of which is individually
and collectively important.

The 7S model is a tool for managerial analysis and action that provides a
structure with which to consider a company as a whole so that the organizations
problems may be diagnosed and a strategy may be developed and implemented.
The seven Ss is a framework for analyzing organizations and their effectiveness.
It looks at the seven key elements that make an organization successful or not.

The 7S are as follows:

1. Strategy: Strategy is created to maintain and make competitive benefit over


the competition.
2. Structure: Structure is the way the organization is constructed and who
reports to whom.
3. Systems: In systems the daily activities and events that staff members join
in to get the job done.
4. Shared values: Shared values are also called “super ordinate goals”. These
values are the centre values of the company that are evidenced in the corporate
culture and the general work.
5. Style: you have to adopt the style of leadership.
6. Staff: In staff employees and their general capabilities are included.
7. Skills: Skills are the actual skills of the employees who are working for the
company.

How to use this model?


Theory is the base of this model. If organization wants to perform well then

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these seven elements are needed to be associated and equally reinforced. If you
want to change restructuring, new processes, organizational merger, new
systems, change of leadership, then you will have to understand how
organizational elements are interrelated.
If you want to analyze the current situation and plan future situation, then you
can use the 7S model. When you use the model you can identify gaps and
inconsistencies between future and current situation. The whole books and
methodologies are dedicated to analyzing organizational strategy, improving
performance and managing change. This model is a good framework which
helps you to ask right questions. If you want to use this model then you will
require proper knowledge, skills and experience. You must have developed a
mind tools checklist and a medium to keep track of how the seven elements are
aligned with each other

The 7S diagram illustrates the multiplicity interconnectedness of elements that


define an organizations ability to change. The theory helped to change managers
thinking about how companies could be improved. It says that it is not just a
matter if devising a new strategy and letting them generate improvements.

To be effective, their organization must have a high degree of fit, internal


alignments amongst all the seven Ss are inter-related and a change in one has a
rippled effect on all the others. It’s impossible to make progress on one without
making progress on all. Thus, to improve their organization you have to pay
attention to all of the seven elements at the same time. There is no starting point
or implied hierarchy. Different factors may drive the business in any one
organization.

DESCRIPTION

STRATEGY
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It is a plan an organization formulates to gain a substantial advantage over the


competition. Strategy is the art of devising and employing a system of activities
that mobilizes all resources towards a valuable goal. “strategy is the
determination of basic long term goals and objectives of an enterprise, and the
adoption of course of action and the allocation of resources available for
carrying out these goals.”

In other words, the route that the organization has chosen for its future growth;
a plan an organization formulates to gain a competitive advantage.

STRUCTURE

Structure describes the hierarchy of authority and accountability in the


organization. These relationships are frequently diagrammed in organizational
charts. Most organizations use some mix of structures pyramidal, matrix or
networked ones to accomplish their goals, a structure is the formalizing of
relationships, roles and responsibilities in order to organize and perform work.
In simple terms, structure is the patterns which various parts or components are
inter-related or inter-connected.

SYSTEM

Systems refer to the processes used to manage the organization.

System includes:

• Management Information Systems.

• Innovation Systems.

• Performance Management Systems.

• Financial Systems/Capital Allocation Systems.

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• Compensation System/ Reward System.

• Customer Satisfaction monitoring activity.

A System is defined process or set of processes that link and orders activities to
enable work to be done and goals to be achieved. System in simpler words is the
formal and informal procedures including compensation systems, management
information systems and capital allocation systems that involve every day
activity.

STYLE

Style of leadership or relationship refers to the manner in which an individual


uses his or her talents, values, knowledge, judgement and attitudes to lead and
relate to others. Style expresses the person’s character .Style is the leadership
approach; also the way in which the organization employees present themselves
to the outside world, to suppliers and customers.

In simple words, a style is the pattern of behaviour, which a leader adopts in


influencing the behaviour of his followers (Sub-ordinates) in the organization
context.

STAFF

Staffing may be defined as filling and keeping filled positions in the


organization structure. Staffing is done by identifying workforce requirements,
inventory requirements etc. The task is fulfilled by recruiting, selecting, placing,
promoting, apprising, planning the careers of compensating and training or
otherwise developing both candidates and current job holders so that tasks are
accomplished effectively and efficiently.

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SKILLS

A Skill is the ability, knowledge, understanding and judgement to accomplish a


task. Skills may be defined as what the company does best; the distinctive
capabilities and competencies that reside in their organization.

SHARED VALUES

Shared values are what engender trust. Values are the identity by which a
company is known throughout its business areas. These values must be
explicitly stated as both corporate objectives and individual values. A shared
value is an essential characteristic or attribute promoted by the organization to
motive the behaviour of members of the organization.

STRUCTURE

FINANCE DEPARTMENT:

The company has employed well qualified and experienced accounting and
EDP professional on its roll for effective conduct of its rapidly expanding
business. It has automated all accounting and inventory control functions both at
its headquarters as well as its various branches. With all dealers and sub dealers
connected to head office by e-mail, transmission of business data is done
electronically on a daily basis resulting in adequate monitoring and control of
the business activities throughout the country.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT:

Human resource management is a management function that helps manager


recruit, select, train and develop members for an organization. Other functions
performed are motivating people; imparting skills and attitudes to improve
performance and also helping in setting up individual and organizational goals.

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MARKETING DEPARTMENT:

Marketing department with its goal oriented and friendly approach has been
successful in reaching most of the urban areas with the Genxt products.
Relationship marketing strategies are well employed and thus are able to
increase the sales, better distribution system and making the products available
when needed and also like regular visit to the dealers has made Genxt products
to market very easily.

5.2 SKILLS:

Skills that marketing manager requires in this company are as follows:

• Strategy Implementation.

• Recruitment and training.

• Communication skills, with fluency of local languages.

• Performance review of employees.

• Coordination with other departments.

• Separate training for both staffs and workmen to develop their skills.

• Motivating his subordinates.

STYLE:

The company follows the participative and democratic style of leadership in


which all level of employees can react towards the achievement and report to
the higher officials. Employees as a whole work together in a team to solve
today and tomorrows problems in a significant manner.

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In Decision-making they:

• Involve people in the company.

• Take their freedom.

• Do communicate to them.

• Listen to their suggestions.

• Accept their ideas.

• Encourage their participation in management.

STRATEGY:

The company follows relationship marketing strategy .Where in a good


relationship is maintained with customers i.e both dealers and customers.
Relationship marketing has helped to retain existing customers and constantly
maintain the sales. And also by motivating dealers by giving them incentives
and awards like best dealer of the year etc . And also they involve dealers in the
meetings and discussions.

SYSTEM:

ORDER EXECUTION SYSTEM OF GENXT ELECTRIC BIKES:

• Here the marketing executives visit dealers regularly on weekly basis to


take orders.

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• Dealers when they need the electric bikes, they place the orders to the
marketing executives of their areas through telephone or when the
marketing executives visit them.

• The marketing executive processes the orders and supplies them.

• Each area has main dealers or consignees where the inventories of


electric bikes are kept.

STAFF: Various duties and responsibilities of manager ;

• Corporate presentation.

• Coordinating domestic marketing activities.

• Strategy implementation.

• Recruitment and training.

• Finance Tie Ups.

• Performance review of executives.

• Coordination with other departments.

SHARED VALUES: The interconnecting centre of McKinsey’s model is:


Shared Values. What the organization stands for and what it believes in; Central
beliefs and attitudes. Genxt fosters teamwork and expects employees to be goal
oriented, it has shared values like;

• Commitment to total quality.

• Cost and time consciousness.

• Innovation and creativity.


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• Trust and team spirit.

• Respect for individual.

• Integrity.

Commitment to total quality:

The company shall accomplish their mission with

 Absolute integrity and dedication.

 Total customer satisfaction.

 Honesty and transparency.

 Courtesy and promptness.

 Fairness.

 Total quality.

 Innovation creativity.

 Trust and team spirit.

 Respect for individual.

 Humility

SWOT ANALYSIS

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STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:

 Most environment friendly bike  Not suitable for more range of


with zero pollution. speed.(80+)

 Only 7 paisa/km  Lack of awareness about


electrical bikes.
 No gear makes easy drive and
comfort.  Very less advertisements about
electrical bikes.
 More safety oriented vehicle.

 Saving of crude oil resources.

 Huge capacity expansion to meet


demand

 Professional management.

 Company is financially strong.

 It has got strong distribution


network.

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OPPORTUNITIES: THREATS:

 Use of Electrical vehicles to drive  Large number of domestic


exponential growth as its competitors.
noiseless, less polluting and
 Lack of electricity.
environment friendly.
 Increasing prices of raw
 Launch of electrical three
materials.
wheelers.
 Company is under pressure to
 Fuel prices touching the highest
cut cost to bring down the
peak rates.
prices of the bike because
 Government subsidies for competitors are offering at low
electrical vehicles. price.

 People opt for change in new


technology.

 Proud of saving earth from global


warming.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

TITLE OF THE PROJECT:

“A study on consumer awareness and perception towards electric bikes with


special reference to GENXT (India) Private Limited ”.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

With increasing in air pollution in urban areas and scarcity of fuels Electric
Bikes is in great demand but it is not used by most of the people because of lack
of awareness. Thus the purpose of the study is to study the awareness level of
consumers towards E-Bikes and also the perception of the users. Thus by
creating awareness we can enhance the sales of Electric Bikes.

OBJECTIVES

• To find out the awareness of consumer about the electric bikes.


• To find out the reason why consumer prefers to electric bike.
• To find out the factor influencing the sales of electric bike.
• To know the users perception about electric bikes.
• To suggest measures to increase sales of electric bikes.
DATA COLLECTION: The data collected for this study was collected from
various sources. The main data collection instruments are of two types.

a) Primary data collection

b) Secondary data collection.

Primary data collection:Primary data are those, which are originated currently
with exploration, carried out within the stipulated period of time. These are
fresh data’s collected in tune with the objective of the study.

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Method of study: Structured questionnaire comprising of multiple choice


questions are used as tool.

• Multiple choice questions makes easier for both field interviewer and
respondents and it saves time. By this tabulations and analysis becomes
much easier and simpler.

Secondary data collection:

These are the data that have already been collected by some other agency or
researcher with the intension of using it for their own use. The source of
secondary data being company’ records, distributors, dealers, university
research bureaus, company’s data bases intended to discern the customer’s
response pertaining to the various topics and public research studies.

STATISTICAL TOOLS USEED FOR RESEARCH:

• Percentage analysis

• Bar graphs & pie charts

• Weighted average

Method of collection

1. Personal interview method.

2. Questionnaire method.

1. Personal Interview Method:

Here face to face interaction takes place and are orally interviewed. Here
this method plays a very important role, because the respondents are very

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much involved with their busy schedules, thus this is the very easiest and
earliest way to get the questionnaire completed.

2. Questionnaire method:

A questionnaire is used for the collection of data. And it consists of both


close and open ended & multiple choice questions.

SAMPLING DESIGN:

Sampling unit : Users of two wheelers in north Karnataka

Sampling size : 100

Sampling method : Non probability

Sampling technique : Convenience sampling

DATA ANALYSIS: The data collected was edited, coded and tabulated and
the results were subjected to further statistical interventions.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY:

Some of the limitations of the study may be summarised as follows

 An underlying assumption for entire project is that the details and


feedback received from population are true.

 It was difficult to find respondents as they were busy in their


schedules and collection of data was very difficult. Therefore study
had to be carried out based on availability of respondents.

 Some of the respondents were not ready to fill the questionnaire and
some of them not ready to come out openly.

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 Due to confidentiality of certain information not all details could be


obtained from the company.

 Also the sample size of 100 may not truly represent whole
population.

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ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

1. Are you aware of Electric Bikes?

Response No. of Responses Percentage

Yes 74 74%

No 26 26%

Total 100 100%


Table no 1:

Graph no 1:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above chart it is evident that

• 74% of respondents are aware of the electric bikes

• 26% are unaware of the electric bikes.

INTERFERENCE:

This indicates that most of the consumers are aware about the electric bikes.
Very few are unaware.

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2) How did you come to know about Electric Bikes?

TABLE NO 2:

Source No. of Responses Percentage


News paper/magazine 23 15%
Television 12 8%
Internet 76 49%
Friends 34 22%
Others 9 6%
Total 154 100%

GRAPH NO 2:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it is evident that 49% of respondents came to know
about electric bikes through internet, 22% came to know through friends, 15%
through newspapers/magazines, 8% through television and 6% from other
sources.

INFERENCE:

From the above it is evident that internet is the main source of awareness, next
is through word of mouth from friends and family. There is not much of
awareness created through print media or TVCs.

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3) Which bike are you using presently?

TABLE NO 3:

Type of Bike Users Percentage

Electric bike 24 24%

Conventional bike 76 76%

Total 100 100%

GRAPH NO 3:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it is evident that 76% of respondents use conventional
bikes whereas 24% of people use electric bikes.

INFERENCE:

From the above it is evident that most of the consumers prefer to commute
through the normal conventional bikes and only few prefer non-conventional
bikes i.e electric bikes.

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4) Which of the following factors encouraged you to buy Electric bikes?

TABLE NO 4:

Parameters No of responses Percentage


Environment friendly 20 41%
Less running cost 12 24%
Safety 6 12%
No registration 3 6%
Others 8 16%
Total 49 100%

GRAPH NO 4:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it is evident that 41% of the consumers bought Electric
bikes due to its environmentally friendly nature, 24% due to its less running
cost, 12% due to safety, 6% due to no registration and 16% due to other reasons.

INFERENCE:

It is evident from the above chart that its environmental friendly nature and less
running cost makes people to go for Electric bikes. Even the safety and no
registration factor also encourages people to opt for Electric bikes and also
some other factors like no driving licence required and no gears also attracts
people to buy electric bikes.

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5) Did advertisement influence your buying decision?

TABLE NO 5:

Buyer decision Respondents No of responses


Strongly agree 5 21%
Agree 13 54%
Neutral 4 17%
Disagree 2 8%
Strongly disagree 0 0
Total 24 100%

GRAPH NO 5:

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INTERPRETATION:

It can be interpreted from the above graph that 54% of consumers agreed to the
fact that advertisements influenced their buying decisions while 21% strongly
agreed to this fact 17% neutral and 8% disagreed.

INFERENCE:

It is evident from the graph that maximum numbers of E-Bike users were
influenced to buying through advertisements. Hence more of advertisements
need to be taken up in order to influence the potential customers.

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6) What do you feel about price of the Electric Bikes?

TABLE NO 6:

Parameters No of responses Percentage


Very high 7 29%
High 9 38%
Moderate 6 25%
Low 2 8%
Very low 0 0%
Total 24 100%

GRAPH NO 6:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it is evident that 29% of the respondents feel that the
price of Electric bikes are very high, 38% feel the price to be high, 25% feel the
price to be moderate and only 8% feel that the price is low.

INFERENCE:

It is clearly evident from the above graph that maximum numbers of consumers
feel the price of electric bikes to be high as compared to its features which are
not that great compared to conventional bikes. Very few consumers feel the
price to be in the moderate and low range. Thus the price of electric bikes needs
to be lowered in case to increase the sales.

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7) What is your opinion towards mileage of Electric Bikes as

Compared to conventional bikes?

TABLE NO 7:

Parameters No of responses Percentage


Very good 8 33%
Good 6 25%
Average 5 21%
Bad 3 13%
Very bad 2 8%
Total 24 100%

GRAPH NO 7:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it is evident that 33% of respondents found the mileage
of Electric bikes to be very good, 25% of people feel it’s good, 21% of
respondents find it to be average,13% of them felt it bad and 8% of
respondents the mileage to be very bad.

INFERENCE:

From the above graph we can make out that most of the respondents feel that
Electric bike gives good mileage as compared to other conventional bikes. Only
few felt that the mileage of conventional bike to be better than the Electric bike.
Thus we can focus on this particular parameter while marketing the product to
increase the sales.

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8) What is your opinion towards speed of Electric Bikes as compared to


conventional bikes?

TABLE NO 8 :

Parameters No of responses Percentage


Very high 0 0%
High 0 0%
Moderate 3 13%
Low 12 50%
Very low 9 38%
Total 24 100%

GRAPH NO 8:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it is evident that 13% of respondents feel the speed of
Electric bike to be moderate as compared to conventional bikes,50% feel the
speed is low and 38% feel the speed to be very low as compared to other
conventional bikes.

INTERFERENCE:

The above graph clearly depicts that the users of the Electric bikes feel the
speed to be very low as compared to other conventional bikes. They feel that the
speed needs to be improved.

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9) Are you convinced about Electric Bike benefits?

TABLE NO 9:

Parameters No of responses Percentage

Yes 17 71%

No 7 29%

Total 24 100%

GRAPH NO 9:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it is evident that 71% of the electric bike consumers are
convinced about the benefits of electric bikes whereas 29% are not convinced
about the benefits.

INFERENCE:

From the above graph it can be analysed that most of the Electric bike users are
convinced about the bike benefits whereas only few of them are not convinced.
This proves that maximum numbers of consumers are happy with the product
and its benefits.

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10) Would you like to suggest electric bike to your friends?

TABLE NO 10:

Parameters No of responses Percentage

Yes 18 75%

No 6 25%

Total 24 100%

GRAPH NO 10:

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INTERPRETATION:

It can be interpreted from the above figure that 75% users recommend the bikes
to their friends while 25% would not recommend.

INFERENCE:

It is evident from the graph that most of the users of electric bike are willing to
refer it to their friends. This is an indication of them being satisfied with the
product.

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11) Is the present promotional activity about Electric bike sufficient enough
for you to make the purchasing decision?

TABLE NO 11:

Parameters No of responses Percentage

Yes 19 25%

No 57 75%

Total 76 100%

GRAPH NO 11:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it can be interpreted that 75% of respondents feel the
promotional activity not sufficient, & 25% feel it’s sufficient.

INFERENCE:

It is evident from the above graph that the promotional activities are not
sufficient. Therefore various promotional activities need to be carried out in
order to create awareness among the people and thus increase the sales of
Electric Bikes.

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12) Which of the following factors do you think are responsible for
lower market share of Electric Bike as compared to Conventional bike?

TABLE NO 12:

Factors Responses Performance


Appearance 24 17%
Speed & Power 61 42%
Battery life 38 26%
Uncertainty of electric bike
technology 22 15%
Total 145 100%

GRAPH NO12:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it is evident that 42% of respondents feel speed&power
as the major factor for lower market share of E-Bikes as compared to
conventional bikes while, 26% feel battery life, 17% feel the appearance of the
bike and 15% say it’s the uncertainty of electric bike technology for lower
market share of E-Bikes as compared to other conventional bikes.

INFERENCE:

It can be analysed from the above graph that maximum no of consumers feel
speed and power to be one of the main reason for their lower market share while
some feel it’s because of the appearance and battery life. Only few consumers
are uncertain about the electric bike technology. so in order to increase the
market share the speed and power of E-Bikes needs to be improved and also
battery life & the appearance of the electric bikes need to be improved

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13) Which of the factors do you think that prevents you from making the
decision of purchasing the electric bikes?

TABLE NO 13:

Parameters No of responses Percentage


Expensive 39 26%
Unaware 26 17%
Not convinced 47 32%
Non availability 18 12%
Others (specify) 19 13%
Total 149 100%

GRAPH NO 13:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it can be interpreted that 32% of respondents are not
convinced, 26% feel expensive,17% are unaware,12% feel non-availability, and
13% other reasons which prevents them from making the decision of purchasing
the electric bikes.

INFERENCE:

From the above graph it is evident that most of the respondents do not purchase
the E-Bikes because they are not convinced about the electric bike technology
or the benefits, and also because it is expensive. Awareness need to be created
& the product need to be made available to maximum no of places.

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14) Is after sales service availability affecting your purchasing decision


of electric bikes?

TABLE NO 14:

Response No. of responses Percentage

Yes 55 72%

No 21 28%

Total 76 100%

GRAPH NO 14:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it can be interpreted that 72% of respondents feel that
after sales service availability affects their purchasing decision while 28% of
respondents say it does not affect.

INFERENCE:

It is evident from the above graph that maximum no of respondents did not go
for buying the electric bike due to the non availability of proper after sales
service. Hence the after sales service need to be improved and service centre
needs to be operated in major cities to overcome this problem.

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15) Are you aware of electric bike benefits?

TABLE NO 15:

Response No. of responses Percentage

Yes 45 59%

No 31 41%

Total 76 100%

GRAPH NO 15:

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INTERPRETATION:

It can be interpreted from the above graph that 59% of respondents were aware
of the Electric bike benefits and 41% are unaware.

INFERENCE:

It is evident from the above graph that although maximum number of


respondents are aware of electric bike benefits steps need to be taken in order to
increase the awareness level about the benefits of Electric Bikes in the minds of
consumers.

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16) After knowing benefits of electric bike are you willing to purchase it
in future?

TABLE NO 16:

Response No. of responses Percentage


Yes 23 30%
No 53 70%
Total 76 100%

GRAPH NO 16:

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INTERPRETATION:

From the above graph it can be interpreted that 70% of respondents would
not purchase Electric Bikes even after knowing the benefits of it whereas
30% would go for Electric Bikes.

INFERENCE:

It is evident from the graph that only few respondents are ready to buy the
bikes after knowing the benefits but majority of them still prefer not to buy
because of many reasons like they already have a bike or they want speed
and power and few think its not sogood looking etc.

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Summary of findings:

1. It was found that most of the respondents are unaware about the Electric
Bikes and their benefits. [Ref :Table no 1, Table no 9]

2. It was found that majority of the consumers came to know about electric
bikes through internet and there are only few advertisements in
newspapers and TVs. [ Ref : Table no 2]

• It was found that maximum numbers of customers were influenced by


advertisements while making their buying decisions.[ Ref : Table no 5]

• It was found that most of the customers are not much satisfied with the
price of the product, and Price quoted by the companies has affected the
customer satisfaction to a great deal.[ Ref : Table no 6]

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• It was found that most of the customers were satisfied with the mileage of
the Electric bikes and are convinced about the electric bike benefits and
were willing to refer it to their friends.[Ref : Table no 7 & Table no 9]

• It was found that most of the customers are not satisfied with after sales
service. It shows that customers are dissatisfied about after sale service.
[ Ref : Table no 14]

• It was found that maximum number of the customers feel the speed of
the Electric bikes to be very low and were not satisfied with the current
speed of the bikes.[Ref : Table no 8]

• It was found that non-availability of Electric bikes is also a reason for


lower market share and consumers not purchasing it.[ Ref : Table no 13]

• It was found that most of the respondents feel that the promotional
activities for electric bikes are not sufficient to make the purchasing
decision.[ Ref : Table no 11]

• It was found that most of the respondents feel that the factors such as
speed & power, battery life and appearance of Electric Bikes are the
main reasons for its lower market share.[Ref : Table no table no 13]

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Suggestions:

• Awareness needs to be created among the consumers regarding the


Electric Bikes and their benefits.[ finding no 1]

• There are only few advertisements in newspapers and TVs. Thus


maximum advertisements need to be put up in these Medias as they
reach wider audiences.[Finding no 2]

• The price of the electric bikes need to be decreased it can be done by


adopting sophisticated technologies and carrying out mass productions or
some discounts on price or offers should be given in order to increase
the sales.[ Finding no 4]

• More number of service centres need to be opened at least in major areas


to cater to the problems & needs of the customers when needed.[Finding
no 6]

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• As most of the people prefer high speed the speed of the electric bikes
need to be improved so as to increase the sales of the E-Bikes.[ Finding
no 7]

• We need to have more number of dealers covering major urban areas and
the distribution network should be made strong.[Finding no8]

• Promotional activities should be increased to create awareness and


increase the sales. Like it should be displayed in auto shows and to
attract more youths demonstrations and special offers should be given to
college students.[ Finding no 9]

• As appearance plays a major role for most of the customers while


making purchasing decisions so the Electric Bikes need to be made more
attractive.[ Finding no 10]

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CONCLUSION:

From the study conducted it was concluded that maximum number of


respondents are not aware of GenXT Electric bikes. So various promotional
activities need to be taken in order to increase the awareness level & thereby
increase the sales. The study also identified and evaluated the consumer
perception toward various factor about electric bike. The result of this study
shows that there is a combination of both positive and negative effect of that
factor on consumer perception. Here most of the respondents consider the cost
and the mileage while purchasing a bike, so there are ample potential to electric
bike in two wheeler sectors. But their battery performance, speed and
appearance are the major factors which is affecting the sales of electric bikes.
The study explains what are the perceptions prevailing in the minds of
customers and recommendations to create awareness through marketing
campaign. The company can implement the suggestions to achieve the above
said objectives.

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LEARNING EXPERIENCE

The opportunity to work with the company given by the company officials was
very helpful to me. I got to meet many players in the distribution field and
discussed business with them which helped me to improve my communication
as well as marketing skills.

Apart from this i was able to understand the real scenario of the market and how
things really work in the market. This made me taste the real flavours of
working environment, work pressures, target achievements and other necessary
skills required to be a good marketing manager.

• From this study I got to know the importance and benefits of distribution
channels i.e. how it helps organizations in distributing products and
services to the end consumer.

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• I also got a firsthand experience of conducting marketing research and the


issues involved with it.

• I also gained knowledge about the dealer’s operations- training given to


them by the company about the product.

PROFITABILITY PROJECTIONS: (Rs. In lakhs)

Particulars 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09


Growth in ----------- 63.27 38.73 27.9 0.4
total profits
(%)
Profit before 1646 2687 3728 5028 5047
tax
Profit after 1152 1881 2609 3337 3351
tax
Share capital 2700 2700 2700 2700 2700

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Reserves & 1152 3033 5642 89880 12330


Surplus
Total Debt 1000 00 600 400 200
Earnings per 4.27 6.97 9.66 12.36 12.41
Share (Rs)
Sales (total 48000 72000 96000 120000 120000
no’s)
Total Income 11245.1 16868 22490.3 28112.8 28112.8

Questionnaire
Dear sir/madam,

I am a student of “M.S Ramaiah institute of technology” pursuing my M.B.A


program and as a part of curriculum, I am conducting a survey on “Consumer
awareness and Perception towards Electric Bikes”. I request your free and
genuine response to the following questionnaire. Information provided by you
will be kept confidential and used for academic purpose only.
Personal Details:

Name:

Age:

Occupation:

Questionnaire:
1. Are you aware of Electric Bikes?

. Yes  No 

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2. How did you come to know about Electric Bikes?

a. News paper/magazine 

b. Television 

c. Internet 

d. Friends 

e. Others (specify) 

3. Which bike are you using presently?

a. Electric bike 

b. Conventional bike 

If you are using conventional bike then please answer questions from 10-15.

4. Which of the following factors encouraged you to buy Electric bikes?

a. Environment friendly 

b. Less running cost 

c. Safety 

d. No registration 

e. Others (specify) 

5. Did advertisement influence your buying decision?

a. Strongly agree 

b. Agree 

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c. Neutral 

d. Disagree 

e. Strongly disagree 

6. What do you feel about price of the Electric Bikes?

a. Very high 

b. High 

c. Moderate 

d. Low 

e. Very low 

7. What is your opinion towards mileage of Electric Bikes as compared to conventional


bikes?

a. Very good 

b. Good 

c. Average 

d. Bad 

e. Very bad 

8. What is your opinion towards speed of Electric Bikes as compared to conventional


bikes?

a. Very high 

b. High 

c. Moderate 

d. Low 

e. Very low 

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9. Are you convinced about Electric Bike benefits?

Yes  No 

10. Would you like to suggest electric bike to your friends?

Yes  No 

11. Is the present promotional activity about Electric bike sufficient enough for you to
make the purchasing decision?

Yes  No 

12. Which of the following factors do you think are responsible for lower market share
of Electric Bike as compared to Conventional bike?

a. Appearance 

b. Speed 

c. Battery life 

d. Uncertainty of electric bike technology 

13. Which of the factors do you think that prevents you from making the decision of
purchasing the electric bikes?

a. Expensive 

b. Unaware 

c. Not convinced 

d. Non availability 

e. Others (specify) 

14. Is after sales service availability affecting your purchasing decision of electric bikes?

Yes  No 

15. Are you aware of electric bike benefits?

Yes  No 

16. After knowing benefits of electric bike are you willing to purchase it in future?

Yes  No 

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If no why

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for your co-operation

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:

Research Methodology: C. R. Kothari, 2nd revised edition 2004

Marketing Management: Philip Kotler, Millenium edition

Consumer Behaviour: Leon Schiffman, Leslie Lazar Kanuk, 8th edition

WEBSITES:

www.wikipedia.com

www.genxt.in

www.electricbikes.com

www.mahashodamarketing.com

OTHERS:

Company manuals

Company Reports

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