Let me confess at the onset, that I haven't kept tabs on the electric scooter market or anything electric that drives. I am not a luddite, it's just that in this case, I have thought of them as a bit gimmicky and bereft of soul.
With several launches in succession, the market now has many options for electric scooters. Some of the options seem very practical too (something that's not considered typical of electric vehicles). So, it's dawned on me that the future may indeed be electric, even if we don't like it. Perhaps, that's what many major manufacturers knew as well. They showcased their concepts at the auto shows a couple of years ago, which they are now launching gingerly. To test the waters, many have launched them only in one city. Based on response, they may expand. It's unlikely that electric scooters are going to go away, what may vary is only speed of adoption which may increase or decrease, subject to various factors. It would be no problem for companies like Bajaj and TVS to expand into other cities, since they can easily leverage the available infrastructure. There are definitely aspects of the electric vehicles which are better than traditional scooters, but when it comes to range, I think, many of you will make a common cause with me, when it comes to range of an electric scooter. And I suppose that it worries you too even if you ride it only in the city. There may be other questions on your mind too. It is for this reason we are doing this comparison.
The TVS motors is the latest entrant and has just launched the iQube which is priced at Rs 1.15 lakh, so it's within this bracket, we have picked the top models of other scooters that are available in the market and products that you may be considering, and prepared a comparison for you.
I like the way that some of these scooters have a display screen as instrument cluster, that resembles a phone and offers a host of telematic functions, that most scooters of the past did not. You get connectivity features with almost all the scooters except the (EPluto and Hero Photon). For example, you can get Google navigation assistance with 7-inch touch display of Ather 450x display. TVS iQube as well offers this feature in addition others like incoming call alerts, ride statistics, geo fencing etc. Note that the iQube display is not a touch-screen though it appears to be. For those who are not familiar with the Geo fencing feature, I should mention that it enables you to set the scooter's geographical limit, within which it can move and can provide you information like where the scooter is at any point. A useful feature to prevent possible thieves from riding it too far. The only caveat I see, these seemingly helpful functions may give rise to a host of privacy concerns. We would leave that for some other article. According to TVS iQube has a torque of 140Nm, which is even more than what a four cylinder engine may offer. So, we wrote to TVS about this, to check if the figures are indeed correct. We haven't received any response yet. So, take the figure not with a pinch, but a handful of salt.
Coming back to features, Bajaj chetak despite being priced at Rs 1.15 lakh gives the touch screen a miss. According to Bajaj, the app is under development and it will allow the user to access various other features. With the app the users will be able to get navigation details on screen, see battery charge state on the phone itself, and other safety features will be available too. The Chetak does look promising even with the retro-inspired LCD. The metal body, the overall fit and finish is close to flawless. The battery in case of Chetak is integrated and is packaged tight, so as to avail the space under the seat for storage, unlike the others like EPluto or Okinawa iPraise+. Bajaj Chetak is the only scooter in this comparison that offers a key-less ignition/entry system.
Some of the lesser known scooters in this comparison like the Okinawa iPraise+, will have you impressed with the range of 160kms. So basically, you are covered for at least a week or two after a full recharge. It also offers a respectable top speed of 70kmph. Okinawa iPraise+ is no light weight either when it comes to features and it's perhaps the most feature-rich. You get engine immobilizer, trip history, reminders, battery information etc. Like in case of other scooters, you would need an app to make use of the functions. Okinawa calls their app as 'eco' and is available for iPhone as well as Android phones.
All scooters employ regenerative braking, (except Photon, for which information is not available) so the power is recovered to some extent and is used to enhance range. The EPluto is a product of a Hyderabad based startup and it misses out on the USB charging port for mobiles, which is considered quite basic today. Unlike the rest of scooters, Pluto7G as well as iPraise+ offer a removable battery. So, you can charge the scooter even if you don't have a convenient parking location in close proximity to the charging point. The EPluto has come of age and now employs a digital display instead of analogue one. However, we wish that the instrument cluster had offered a level of functionality close to its rivals. It's definitely lacks in that respect.
The Ather 450X was not only the pioneer, of the touch-screen functionality. To this day, its oomph factor remains and is definitely the most usable, attractive and best in business. However, it makes way for the 450x, which retains the touchscreen, however it now employs android instead of linux as OS which offers better usability. The TVS iQube comes in close second in this department.
Looking at how things stack up, in our opinion TVS iQube is perhaps the best pick of the lot, since it does not skip on any features, is more traditional in some sense. And being traditional is sometimes better. We really like the Ather 450X too and it is our second choice in this comparison. While 450X's frame is all-aluminium and it may be light-weight, the downside is that if the frame gets bent due to minor collision, it would be somewhat difficult to repair. Another flaw that we see is in the pricing of the Ather 450X. You can buy the Ather with subscription package of your choice, which is an additional overhead which many consumers may not prefer. While you can buy the scooter without the subscription package, however the price in that case jumps quite significantly (approx Rs 1.5 lakh), which seems a little exorbitant. We really love the Chetak too, which in an attempt to carrying the legacy forward, has given us a respectable blend of retro-modern design.
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| TVS iQube |
 |
| Pure EPluto |
The TVS motors is the latest entrant and has just launched the iQube which is priced at Rs 1.15 lakh, so it's within this bracket, we have picked the top models of other scooters that are available in the market and products that you may be considering, and prepared a comparison for you.
The range mentioned below is the range you would get when you ride in the most conservative mode they offer like Eco.
| Power etc. | TVS iQube |
Bajaj Chetak |
Ather 450X |
Hero Photon HSS-LP |
Pure EPluto |
Okinawa iPraise+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak Power (kw) | 4.4 | 4.08 | 6 | 1.8 | 2 | 2.5 |
| Torque (Nm) | 140 | 16 | 26 | NA | NA | NA |
| Gradeability (degrees) | 10 | NA | 25 | 7 | 12 | 15 |
| Range (kms) | 75 | 95 | 85 | 80 | 120 | 160 |
| Battery warranty (yrs or kms) | 3 or 50,000 | 3 or 50,000 | 3 for Unlimited |
3 or 20,000 | 3 or 50,000 | 3 or 20,000 |
| Full recharge (hrs) | 5 | 5 | 5.45 | 5 | NA | 4 |
| Top speed | 78 | 65 | 80 | 45 | 60 | 70 |
| Under-seat storage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Minimal | Minimal |
| USB charging | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes |
| Regenerative braking | Yes | Yes | Yes | NA | Yes | Yes |
| Reverse mode | Yes | Yes | Yes | NA | NA | Yes |
| Keyless go | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
 |
| Bajaj Chetak |
Coming back to features, Bajaj chetak despite being priced at Rs 1.15 lakh gives the touch screen a miss. According to Bajaj, the app is under development and it will allow the user to access various other features. With the app the users will be able to get navigation details on screen, see battery charge state on the phone itself, and other safety features will be available too. The Chetak does look promising even with the retro-inspired LCD. The metal body, the overall fit and finish is close to flawless. The battery in case of Chetak is integrated and is packaged tight, so as to avail the space under the seat for storage, unlike the others like EPluto or Okinawa iPraise+. Bajaj Chetak is the only scooter in this comparison that offers a key-less ignition/entry system.
Some of the lesser known scooters in this comparison like the Okinawa iPraise+, will have you impressed with the range of 160kms. So basically, you are covered for at least a week or two after a full recharge. It also offers a respectable top speed of 70kmph. Okinawa iPraise+ is no light weight either when it comes to features and it's perhaps the most feature-rich. You get engine immobilizer, trip history, reminders, battery information etc. Like in case of other scooters, you would need an app to make use of the functions. Okinawa calls their app as 'eco' and is available for iPhone as well as Android phones.
| Brakes, Suspension etc. |
TVS iQube |
Bajaj Chetak |
Ather 450X |
Hero Photon HSS-LP |
Pure EPluto |
Okinawa iPraise+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheels mm (Front/Rear) |
12/12 | 12/12 | 12/12 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 12/12 |
| Tyres mm (Front/Rear) |
90/90 (Tubeless) |
NA | 90/90 (Tubeless) | NA | 90/90 | 90/90 (Tubeless) |
| Suspension (Front) | Telescopic forks | Trailing link | Telescopic forks | Telescopic forks | Telescopic forks | Telescopic forks |
| Suspension (Rear) | Dual shock-Twin tube | Monoshock | Progressive monoshock | NA | Dual shock | Dual shock-Twin tube |
| Brakes (Front) | Disc (220) | Disc | Disc (200) | Drum (110) | Disc | Disc |
| Brakes mm (Rear) |
Drum (130) | Drum | Disc (190) | Drum (110) | Drum | Disc |
 |
| Ather 450 with drivetrain |
The Ather 450X was not only the pioneer, of the touch-screen functionality. To this day, its oomph factor remains and is definitely the most usable, attractive and best in business. However, it makes way for the 450x, which retains the touchscreen, however it now employs android instead of linux as OS which offers better usability. The TVS iQube comes in close second in this department.
Also read: Why are electric vehicles great despite their shortcomings?
 |
| Okinawa iPraise+ |
Looking at how things stack up, in our opinion TVS iQube is perhaps the best pick of the lot, since it does not skip on any features, is more traditional in some sense. And being traditional is sometimes better. We really like the Ather 450X too and it is our second choice in this comparison. While 450X's frame is all-aluminium and it may be light-weight, the downside is that if the frame gets bent due to minor collision, it would be somewhat difficult to repair. Another flaw that we see is in the pricing of the Ather 450X. You can buy the Ather with subscription package of your choice, which is an additional overhead which many consumers may not prefer. While you can buy the scooter without the subscription package, however the price in that case jumps quite significantly (approx Rs 1.5 lakh), which seems a little exorbitant. We really love the Chetak too, which in an attempt to carrying the legacy forward, has given us a respectable blend of retro-modern design.
| Buying | TVS iQube |
Bajaj Chetak |
Ather 450X |
Hero Photon HSS-LP |
Pure EPluto |
Okinawa iPraise+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Bengaluru | Pune and Bengaluru |
Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune,
Delhi, Hyderabad, |
Across India | Pune | Across India |
| Price (Lakhs) | Rs 1.15 | Rs 1.0 | Rs 0.99 (without subscription) |
Rs 0.95 | Rs 0.72 | Rs 1.09 |
