Simple Energy announced its entry with its electric scooter, One, on 15th August 2021. Interestingly, this was also the same day Ola Electric introduced its S1 and S1 Pro. While we already see many Ola S1s out on the road, it’s not the same with Simple One. It has been over nine months, and Simple Energy does not have a single unit out on the road.
To make things worse, the customers will now have to wait even longer. Simple Energy announced through social media the latest update regarding the deliveries. The company says that the deliveries will see more delays due to upcoming government guidelines. The founder and CEO of the company further said that the deliveries would start in the first week of September. However, the test rides are on schedule and will begin in July. The company will officially announce the exact dates soon.
Customers are not taking the latest delay well and have started cancelling their bookings. Furthermore, the tired customers have taken it to social media and are waiting for a refund of their booking amount.
In April of this year, Nitin Gadkari, Union Road Transport Minister, said that appropriate action needs to be taken against electric two-wheeler manufacturers found to be negligent. Furthermore, The Centre for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES) was also asked to probe such incidents. The government asked CFEES also to suggest remedial measures. A manufacturer found guilty of negligence will have to pay a hefty fine. In addition to this, they will also need to issue a recall for the detective vehicles.
Following the reports of recent EV fires, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) also sent notices to Boom Motors and Pure EV. These notices were in relation to severe injuries and loss of life due to their electric vehicles catching fire. Hence, all these events lead us to believe there will be policy changes soon.
Simple Energy’s One comes with an asking price of INR 1.10 lakh ex-showroom Bengaluru. The price also includes the latest FAME-II subsidies. Powering the e-scooter is a 4.5 kW unit which produces 72 Nm of torque. The Simple One features four riding modes – Eco, Ride, Dash & Sonic. Unlike any of the options in the market, it comes with two battery packs. One of the two is user-removable. Together, they provide the One with a range of 236 km. The torque also helps it accelerate from 0 to 40kmph in 2.95 seconds. The top speed of the Simple One is 105kmph. Other highlights include a touchscreen instrument cluster, 30-litre under-seat storage and all LED lights.
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