Battery operated scooters have come a long way since I bought my electric scooter way back in 2008 in Bangalore. This was a time when the only electric vehicles on the roads were the Reva car and scooters that had a maximum speed of 45kmph and dared to call themselves Velocity (I had bought this scooter which was then the ‘fastest’). Now there are many excellent electric car options as well as hybrid cars available. In the two-wheeler segment, some of these e bikes are worth considering:
The price of this e-bike starts at Rs. 90K. The 3000W motor has a maximum speed of 85kmph and can go 150 km per charge it is claimed. The charging takes 4.5 hours. Local incentives for electric vehicles have made this bike cheaper. It has a removable battery for convenient charging however this bike is available only in select cities. The vehicle has decent reviews from users as regards drive quality but apparently, service is not up to the mark.
This is priced at about Rs. 1 lack ex-showroom Delhi and has benefit of the EV subsidy, according to auto websites. The bike is a lithium-ion battery, a kerb weight of 118 kg, power of 4.4 kW and a 75 km range per charge. It will be available in 20 cities by March 22. The scooter has an eco-mode that restricts speed to 40kmph. USB charging socket, smartphone connectivity, park assist, day and night display and regenerative braking are some features.
This electric bike will be launched later this year by about November 2021. It has a 4000W motor and a portable lithium-ion battery. The bike is expected to reach top speeds of 85kmph and the charging duration is likely to be 4 hours. The bike is expected to have a USB charger, cruise control, reverse assist, Bluetooth connectivity and app support. the price is expected to be somewhere around the Rs. 1 L mark.
This scooter and its four models are already being sold in Japan and elsewhere. In India, the scooter is being tested at the Automotive Research Association Of India (ARAI) and is likely to be launched later this year. This vehicle is aimed at the fixed-route business space such as for package and food delivery and has a rear plateau for carrying cargo. Its spacious design, reverse assist, and convenient battery swap and wireless charging possibility will make this a good option.
This is another electric bike that is expected to launch later this year and will be available at around 1.2 lakh ex-showroom. We don’t know a lot about the bike except that it will have performance equivalent to a 110 cc petrol scooter and a range of about 90 km per charge.
Right now, the construction of the factory is ongoing in Tamil Nadu - which will have some 3000 AI-enabled robots - according to reports. So it is going to be a bit of a wait for the Ola electric scooter. Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of Ola tweeted this about the scooter which is expected to have ergonomic seating, superior cornering ability, a large boot, and class-leading acceleration.
Do you have something interesting you would like to share? Write to us at [email protected]
