Super73, a brand known for stylish electric bicycles or e-bikes, has been making a big splash globally, especially in the USA and Europe. Retro styling, performance, and building a community around e-mobility seemed like the perfect recipe. On the contrary, despite witnessing heavy demand for electric vehicles in India, Super73 failed to grab the eyeballs. So, this brings up a valid question: why did Super73 fail in India?

In this blog, we will discuss all those elements that hindered the brand from getting grounds in India, such as pricing issues, infrastructural problems, cultural differences, and regulatory hurdles.

1. Price Sensitivity in the Indian Market

One major reason behind the unsuccessful venture of Super73 into India is the premium pricing of its bikes. Super73’s e-bikes fit a price range of $2,000 to $4,000 (₹1.5 – ₹3.5 lakh) and are a product for a luxury market of niche customers in Western countries. Yet India is a price-sensitive market in personal vehicles.

• Competing Electric Options: India’s EV market is inundated with low-cost two-wheelers such as electric scooters churned out by Ola Electric, Ather Energy, Bajaj Chetak, and Hero Electric. These start from approximately ₹80,000, which most Indian consumers would definitely be able to afford.

• Limited Premium Buyers: A section of the expanding affluent middle class in India certainly prefers affordability, fuel efficiency, and values for money over most luxury options and brand prestige. Lesson: While coming to India, any international brand should go for a localized pricing strategy.

2. Lack of Charging Infrastructure

India is in the primary stages in terms of electric vehicle charging infrastructure outside major cities. Another reason which restricted Super73’s success is this:

• Very Few Public Charging Points: Super73’s e-bikes are built around urban or suburban riders who would generally have access to home charge setups for the Western market. Lack of viable charging stations in India made it impossible even for the riders wishing to cover longer distances.

• Range Anxiety: Because, while Super73 bikes have considerable range, it has become a habit for Indian consumers to think “range anxiety” – that is, they constantly fear their batteries will go dead in the middle of the ride due to the absence of sufficient charging options. Lesson: To be successful with their EV products in the Indian market, companies had to make either very long-range models or partner to create strong networks of charging infrastructures.

3. Import Dependency and High Duties

FACILITATES HIGH IMPORT DUTIES for this category of products manufactured either in the US or elsewhere, thus making super73 and its products subjected to heavy import duties when brought into India. These duties can increase the final sale price by 20% to 50%, making an already premium-priced product price exorbitant.

•No Local Manufacturing: Unlike its competitors that have set up local manufacturing units to sidestep import duties, Super73 did not invest in a local facility in India.

•Missed Incentives from the Government: India offers subsidies and incentives for EVs that are manufactured locally, under programs like FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles). Imported models are usually exempt from such benefits.

Lesson: Setting up local manufacturing and assembly plants would have kept costs low and enabled super73 to tap into EV subsidies.

4. Cultural and Lifestyle Differences

Super73’s e-bikes are designed for recreational and leisurely riders. In the West, buyers purchase Super73 bikes for weekend rides, beach rides, or short urban commutes. In India, the use cases for two-wheelers are vastly different:

•Utility-Oriented Riders: Most two-wheeler users in India rely on their scooters or motorcycles for their daily commuting, errands, and transportation of goods. There is not much demand for leisure-oriented e-bikes.

•Weather and Road Conditions: The scorching summers, heavy downpours during the monsoons, and dilapidated roads serve as deterrents against an already vast class of high-performance e-bikes like Super73. Riders favor machines that can handle different terrains and weather conditions.

Lesson: Brands must cater to local use cases and design bikes that can serve utility and recreational purposes on the Indian market.

5. Lack of Brand Awareness and Marketing Efforts

Super73 is a lifestyle brand that thrives on community-building and social media marketing. In the US, the brand has built a cult-like following with influencers, celebrities, and dedicated events. However, the brand failed to replicate this model in India.

•Minimal Local Marketing: There was little to no targeted marketing to introduce Super73 to Indian consumers. Without aggressive marketing campaigns, the brand remained unknown to many potential buyers.

•Missing Influencer Engagement: Indian brands like Ather and Ola have successfully leveraged local influencers and social media personalities to create hype around their products. Super73 did not follow a similar strategy.

Lesson: Building a strong local presence through influencer marketing, social media campaigns, and community events is crucial for brand success in India.

6. Competition from Local Players

The Indian electric vehicle market is largely threatened by up-and-coming local competition that offers cheap yet high-performance electric scooters and bikes. Such players include Ola Electric, in addition to having sleek designs and high performance, prices its vehicles for the Indian market; Ather Energy, known for hi-tech gadgets and extended battery range; and Hero Electric, a reputable name in relatively inexpensive electric scooters. These local players find themselves in an advantageous position due to competitive pricing, local manufacture, and strong dealer networks to gain consumer confidence.

Lesson: If you are ever in competition with huge local players, you need to either innovate and create a product that is very different from theirs or keep your pricing strategy competitive.

7. Limited After-Sales Support

After-sales service, particularly in maintenance and repairs, were of much importance to an Indian buyer. Lack of an extensive service center and authorized dealer network across the country for the Super73 products… Long Waits: For repair, import or replacement parts, often leading to very long wait and costly repairs.

No Local Technicians: The absence of certified technicians able to work on Super73 e-bikes made the repair and servicing process quite a hassle for potential customers.

Lesson: A reliable after-sales servicing network can ensure customer loyalty and long-standing success.

8. Regulatory Challenges

The Indian EV market is extremely regulated-at times battery safety standards, maximum speed limit, and licensing rules might have limited the entry of certain models into the market by Super73. High-Speed Bikes and Licensing: Some models of Super73 that operate at high speed would attract licensing or registration requirement in India, which could act as a deterrent to these potential buyers.

Battery Standards: Safety considerations dictated by the Government of India regarding EV batteries could have demanded design modifications to the batteries, which again add to the cost and complication for local sales.

Lesson: It is paramount to navigate local regulatory frameworks and stay compliant when setting up an EV brand in India.

What could Super73 have done differently?

1. Localized production: Establishment of local setups of assembly or manufacturing plants that would help in reducing cost and avail government subsidies.

2. Affordable Models: The launch of low-priced versions intended on the Indian tastes and use cases.

3. Enhanced Marketing: Using local influencers, social media campaigns, and community events to create awareness of the brand.

4. Setting up a Service Network: Service centers and technicians should be trained locally for better after-sales experience.

5. Partnerships: Development with charging network providers to alleviate range anxiety and improve convenience among users.

Last Thoughts: Learning from Super73’s Experience in India

The most important thing is to understand local markets before going global for a brand, as the case of Super73 and its failure in India. The opportunity is a very important factor in the Indian EV market, but it requires affordability, usefulness, and strong after-sales service. Those brands that tailor their strategies and their products to these aspects are likely to flourish.

Super73 may not have succeeded in its first attempt, but there are too many lessons to learn from what happened to it. Every global brand needs to learn how to market itself in India’s burgeoning electric vehicle space.