The Hindu Business Line : TVS Motor decides to launch Flame in five cities this month

Chennai, Jan. 1 Unfazed by the ongoing legal tangle with Bajaj, TVS Motor Company has decided to roll out the TVS Flame motorcycle across five cities in January.

The battle over whether or not the company may sell the motorcycle took a couple of sharp turns last month, when a single judge of the Madras High Court first ruled that the company may not book orders one day, but a bench stayed the order the next day. Bajaj has alleged patent infringement, while TVS has denied it.

During the month the company’s motorcycle sales stood at 51,293 units in comparison to 58,756 units recorded in December 2006. TVS Motor Company has reported total two-wheeler sales of 97,576 units in December 2007 against 1,03,188 units in the corresponding period of the previous year.

New launches

A press release from the company says that TVS Motor Company is also expected to launch the new Scooty Teenz Electric Vehicle, during the beginning of the fourth quarter. It is targeted at women, whose daily travel is limited to around 15-25 km per day and has a maximum range of 50 km per charge, long battery life and excellent utility space.

Another launch that has been scheduled for the fourth quarter is the Apache RTR EFI. With this motorcycle, TVS Motor Company would, for the first time, be offering Electronic Fuel Injection technology in the 160 cc category. The company will also leverage the growth prospects of the three-wheeler market with the launch of its three-wheeler variants, while planning the launch of another motorcycle launch in the fourth quarter.

During the month the company’s motorcycle sales stood at 51,293 units in comparison to 58,756 units recorded in December 2006. In the scooter segment, TVS Scooty sales stood at 14,568 units in December 2007 in comparison to 16,616 units in the corresponding period the previous year. This segment too will witness further growth with the launch of TVS Scooty Teenz EV.

Exports achieved the highest ever sales of 14,402 units of two-wheelers in December 2007 as against 7,088 units in the corresponding period of the previous year thereby recording more than 100 per cent growth.