The Battle Of Electric Two-Wheelers: Ather 450X Vs Ola S1Pro Vs Simple One Vs TVS iQube Vs Bajaj Chetak

World’s largest two-wheeler market is going through an exciting phase. The segment, which is concentrated mainly to five top big players such as Hero MotoCorp, Honda Motorcycles Scooters India, Bajaj Auto, TVS and Royal Enfield, is now being challenged by the new age start-ups which are not even a quarter of their size in terms of installed capacity and network in the hinterlands where they can sell their products. 

But these start-ups are rewriting the rules of the two-wheeler industry based on innovation, new technology, and the way of selling vehicles. And they are not coming alone, but a plethora of companies from different walks of life joining the race. 

As many as two dozen electric two-wheelers have been launched in the last seven months, taking the tally to the highest numbers of launches seen by any segment. 

Suraj Ghosh, Associate Director, Powertrain & Compliance Forecasts, IHS Markit, said that the revised FAME-II consumer incentives and strong EV policies of states like Maharashtra and Gujarat triggered the spike in interest of electric 2Ws from both prospective customers and the manufacturers.

“With such strong policy support, the price parity between ICE and electric 2Ws has been achieved and combined with the high fuel prices, electric 2Ws is clearly winning the TCO calculations,” he added.

However, these start-ups have yet to prove their mettle in terms of the overall reliability of their products. Besides, they need to overcome the challenges around charging and range complexity. 

To give a deep dive understanding, Mobility Outlook studies specifications, features, software, and technology of five electric two-wheelers -Ather 450X, Ola S1Pro, Simple One, TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak. These vehicles may not be at par with the performance of ICE scooters, but with new-age features and innovative technologies, they are becoming the real alternatives for micro-mobility (0-10 kms) transportation. 

Price

First things first; in India, price is the most crucial factor for anyone to decide on any purchase, especially in commuter segment transportation. Among the five electric scooters - Simple Energy One is most affordable at INR 1.09 lakh, followed by TVS IQube at INR 1.15 lakh, Bajaj Chetak at INR 1.25 lakh and Ola S1Pro at INR 1.27 lakh. 

Among all, Hero-backed Ather Energy is the most expensive one at INR 1.40 lakh. 

It is also to be noted that all the prices as mentioned above are ex-showroom. Therefore, the prices may differ from state to state depending on the subsidies offered in that particular state. 

Experts say the price a customer pays for the features and value drives for them. 

An essential part of any electric vehicle is the battery and its performance, similar to what an engine is for the ICE vehicle. How healthy is the heart of the vehicle will determine the performance of the vehicle. 

Battery and Performance

In terms of battery and performance, all five electric scooters come with lithium-ion batteries. Simple Energy One and Ola S1 Pro come with a large capacity battery of 3.97 kWh (Kilowatt hour) and 4.8 kWh, respectively. 

Talking about the maximum power, Ola S1 Pro tops the chart with 8,500 Watts followed by Simple Energy One 7,000 Watts and Ather 450X at 6,000 Watts.

The offering from traditional scooter makers - TVS i-Qube and Bajaj Chetak- sits below with 4,400 Watts and 4,080 Watts of power, respectively.  

So far, electric vehicles have been pinned down because of range anxieties. However, with new-generation products and better technology, the range has been addressed as Simple Energy offers a range of 236 km in a single full charge, followed by Ola S1 Pro, which offers 181 km. 

On the charging time, Ola S1 Pro can go up to 75 km in 18 mins of charging, and Simple One can be charged up to 80% in 2.7 hours. While TVS -Qube, Ather 450 X and Bajaj Chetak take the usual five to six hours to get a full charge. 

Features 

While price and range become an essential factor for the purchase of electric two-wheelers, features, on the other hand, make it more important for new-age millennial buyers who are tech enthusiasts. 

Mobility Outlook studied more than 25 features of all the five electric two-wheelers and listed them for the buyers to understand which model fares well among them. 

In terms of modern-day features, touch screen display, mobile app connectivity, GPS, Anti Theft, Geo-fencing, and start-stop button Ather 450X, Simple One, and Ola S1 Pro are at par. 

While Bajaj Chetak and TVS I-Qube miss on digital touch screen display. 

In terms of additional features, Ola S1 Pro leads the pack as it offers cruise control, three riding modes(Normal, Sport, and Hyper), proximity lock / unlock, remote boot lock / unlock, infotainment, limp home mode, hill hold, get home mode, take me home lights , find my scooter, voice Assistant. 

The other scooter which stands out in offering more features is Ather 450X which also comes with over-the-air updates which can enhance the scooter's overall performance. 

Other additional features it offers is ride modes, perfect balance, interactive dashboard, on-board navigation, 24x7 roadside assistance, doorstep pick up & drop service, remote diagnostics, ather Dot - Home Charging Point, 1st year Ather Service subscription free. 

Summing-Up 

With a plethora of launches, the overall two-wheeler segment is going through a massive transition and more offerings will lead the ecosystem to develop more conductively. While the transition OEMs TVS and Bajaj offer reliability and trust, the new age start-ups have upped the game with more features and powerful performance.

Excerpts indicate that going forward new-age companies need to deliver on the product quality in order to sustain the business as automobiles are a long lead time business, not a short lead time.