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Be optimistic!

Want to drive on the road without a licence in your pocket? Want to drive a bike without even stopping at a petrol pump? Want to go to the office or college without a helmet? You hate all queues for pollution under control certificate? Now you can do all this without breaking any traffic rules on the road. What’s more you will also be helping in keeping the environment green and clean. What’s the trick? The answer lies in environment friendly, zero polluting, fuel less bike Hero Electric Maxima, which was launched in the capital recently. The bike continues the chain of vehicles that have hit the market in recent times claiming to provide an alternative to petrol, diesel or even CNG.

Naveen Munjal, MD of Hero Electric says, “We are losing heavily because of the rising petrol prices. Such a bike is the need of the hour and at the same time easy to drive and maintenance free.” He further adds, “I saw this kind of a bike way back in the U.S., at that time it would have been very costly and not feasible. We started working on it on our own and after 12 years of research and hard work we came up with this product which is pocket friendly and at the same time eco-friendly.”

Optima which has a top speed of 25 kms an hour has no engine at all. It has got a big battery which is placed below the riders feet, it gives power to a motor which moves the bike. The pick-up of the bike is amazing without a noise. Optima can easily carry the load of two adults. A fully charged battery can take you a distance of nearly 70 kms and a full battery charging needs only one unit of electricity and six hours, which is on the higher side. The company provides a charger, an extension wire can be attached to it if your electricity point is not near. The battery lasts up to 300-350 charges as claimed by the company. The price of the battery is between Rs.3000-3500.

The bike is priced at Rs. 27,000 but thanks to an official initiative, the price of the Optima in Delhi comes down to just Rs.19,950. Now that the Nuclear Deal has been clinched, power will not be a problem, and we can save a lot on petrol. The bike has a speedometer and a battery charge showing meter but a milometer is missing, which may mean you can not cross check how much do you travel in a single charge. Optima can be purchased at the already appointed six Hero Electric dealers in Delhi. The company hopes to appoint nearly 25 dealers a month countrywide.

Now it is time to present a bike to your school or college going children to allow them to travel comfortably instead of the crowded city buses and save energy to concentrate more on their studies, but also recommend wearing a helmet for a safe ride.

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