Realme is not just a smartphone brand anymore. It now sells vacuum cleaners, air purifiers, washing machines, and whatnot. The next thing that Realme may now be working on is an electric scooter. It is not a surprise because Realme’s biggest rival, Xiaomi, already sells its electric scooters, although of a different kind, in China, while the parent company Oppo recently announced its Carlink smart car solution.
According to RushLane, Realme filed a trademark with the Indian regulator under the “vehicles, apparatus for locomotion by land, air or water” a few months after the company launched its first smartphone in India. Realme entered India’s smartphone market back in 2018, which means the company has had plans for an EV for a long time. A trademark does not necessarily mean the product will make it to the market, but given the growing demand for EVs, it would make sense if Realme wanted to enter that.
The trademark shows Realme could be planning a self-balancing electric scooter, or even a self-balancing electric board under the TechLife brand, but there is nothing to confirm which one will finally arrive if it does at all.
Xiaomi already has a decent portfolio of electric scooters (kick scooters) in China, but it does not sell them outside of its home market. And Realme’s parent company, Oppo, also made clear that it has plans to enter the automotive industry, even if it comes in the form of a connectivity app. Ola Electric recently launched its much-anticipated electric scooter (moped) in India, while brands such as Ather and TVS are also selling their EVs. Brands like LML are also planning to make a comeback with electric vehicles. So, clearly, there is a surge in demand for EVs.
There is no information about the Realme electric scooter available at this point in time. I am also not sure whether the electric scooter, if it is in the pipeline, will arrive in India before it debuts in China. Since Xiaomi still has not brought its electric scooter to India, it could be a good opportunity for Realme to mark its debut into the EV category with an India launch.
Realme celebrated its third anniversary in India earlier this year with the launch of the GT series. The company used the word GT for its flagship to show that its new phones are as fast as the Ford GT Supercars. Considering the company is already interested in the automotive industry, foraying into the EV category should not be an issue for Realme. But whether this trademark turns into reality is something only time will tell.
