Can Kinetic Energy harvest nostalgia with the E-Luna?

Motwani maintained that while the company expects a fair bit of demand from former Luna buyers or users, a significant chunk of customers will be first-time users who don’t wish to shell out a huge sum for petrol-driven two-wheelers

The Kinetic Luna, a common feature of Indian roads back in the day, has now been resurrected, albeit in an electric avatar. Launched at a price tag of Rs 69,900- 74,900 (ex-showroom), the company aims to leverage a brand which was once known for its affordability, reliability, and negligible maintenance costs.

“Luna evokes a positive feeling and a sense of reliability. The e-Luna is consistent with that core but takes a leap into sustainability and advanced technology. It builds on the core of personal mobility, reliability, simplicity, etc. It is a bridge from the past to the future. The tagline Chal Meri Luna is still relevant,’’ said  Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Founder and CEO, Kinetic Green.

It may be recalled that the original Luna, which was launched in 1972 as a 50 cc moped by Kinetic Engineering, was known to have been popular in the country’s hinterland. After nearly three decades, the Luna went out of production in 2000.

“The brand enjoyed tremendous traction in the heydays of the moped revolution that swept India, and now, it is a great fit for the EV category. The brand still enjoys residual recognition. It can surely harvest that,” said brand expert Harish Bijoor.

Going beyond the Luna fan base

Motwani maintained that while the company expects a fair bit of demand from former Luna buyers or users, a significant chunk of customers will be first-time users, who don’t wish to shell out a huge sum for petrol-driven two-wheelers. She said the e-Luna is being positioned as a “differentiated product” with a “groundbreaking price.”

However, many brand experts are of the view that Luna, despite having a nostalgic appeal, may find it a challenge to connect with the younger population.

Avik Chattopadhyay, founder of brand consultancy firm Expereal and an auto industry expert says, “The Luna is an iconic brand and its relaunch in an electric avatar is certainly looked forward to by the automotive media fraternity. But does it resonate among first-time two-wheeler riders? Not really, as he or she has no recollection of Luna, except mentions from the older generation.”

In his view, people above 40 years of age will have fond memories of learning how to ride this ultra-simple machine on two wheels. He believes that Kinetic Green's challenge will be to contemporise the nostalgia in today’s context.

“The first-time rider now lives a very different life, driven by a different set of desires and consumption habits. They (Kinetic) have the Luna legacy as a terrific support. Personally, I would have liked the styling to be `cooler‘ than it is, going by the pictures I have seen,” noted Chattopadhyay.

However, for Motwani, the aim is to create a revolution by making e-mobility expand at the bottom of the pyramid.

"E-mobility is very niche, only 5 percent (of the two-wheeler market). I think e-Luna can appeal to a wider demographic. It can cater to not just to tier 1, but also tier 2 and 3 cities,” affirmed Motwani.