The electric scooter segment is currently booming in the Indian market. Brands such as Ather Energy, Bajaj, and TVS already have their scooter competing in the premium electric two-wheeler segment. But recently, two more players, Ola Electric and Simple One entered the Indian electric two-wheeler market, disrupting ex-showroom prices. The Government of India is also encouraging the sales and adoption of EVs through several subsidies, including rebates in taxes. Manufacturers are also helping the initiative by improving the electric infrastructure around the country, which is one of the most important aspects of EV adoption.
In this specification comparison, we pin the two new kids on the block, the Ola S1 and Simple One with the Ather 450, which has been one of the best sellers in the segment and set new benchmarks in the electric scooter industry.
The Ola S1 is available in two variants – S1 and S1 Pro. The price for the Ola S1 is INR 99,999 ex-showroom. On the other hand, the Ola S1 Pro comes with a price tag of INR 129,999 ex-showroom. It is important to note that the prices do not include state government incentives. But to things into perspective, the Ola S1 and S1 Pro come with a price tag as low as INR 79,999 ex-showroom and INR 109,999 ex-showroom Gujarat.
On the other hand, The Simple One comes with a price tag of INR 1.10 lakh ex-showroom. The brand has commenced bookings for the Simple One electric scooter with INR 1947 commemorating India’s 75 years of independence. The Ather 450 comes with a starting price tag of INR 125,490 ex-showroom for the Ather 450 Plus and INR 144,500 ex-showroom for the Ather 450X. It is important to note that the prices on the Ather scooters are ex-showroom Bengaluru and inclusive of FAME II, Ather Dot/Portable charger & performance upgrades.
The Ola S1 and S1 Pro come with an 8.5 kW hyperdrive electric motor, which is the most powerful in the segment. The S1 comes with Normal and Sports mode, while the S1 Pro features Normal, Sports, and Hyper modes. The Simple One scooter comes with a 4.5 kW power unit that produces 72 Nm of torque. The scooter comes with – Eco, Ride, Dash, and Sonic riding modes. The Ather 450 Plus features a 5.4 kW electric motor that produces 22 Nm of torque. The 450X, on the other hand, comes with a 6 kW motor that belts out 26 Nm of torque. Ather provides Eco, Ride, Sports, and Warp riding modes.
The Ola S1 comes with a 3.97 kWh battery packs that offer 121 km of range on the S1 and 181 km of range on the S1 Pro. The Simple One electric scooter comes with two battery packs, one fixed and another user-removable. Together the battery packs claim to provide a range of 236 km on a single charge. The Ather 450 Plus features a battery range of 70 km on a single charge, while the Ather 450X comes with a range of 85 km on a single charge.
The electric motor is capable of propelling the S1 from 0-40 kmph in just 3.6 seconds. The S1 Pro achieves the same speed in just 3.0 seconds. The S1 comes with a top speed of 90 kmph, and the S1 Pro can achieve a 115 kmph top speed. The Simple One electric scooter can accelerate from 0-40 kmph in 2.95 seconds and reach a top speed of 105 kmph. The Ather 450 Plus and the Ather 450X can achieve a top speed of 80 kmph. Accelerating from 0-40 kmph requires 3.9 seconds on the 450 Plus, while the 450X can sprint from 0-40 kmph in just 3.3 seconds.
The Ola S1 comes with ten exterior body colours with gloss, matte and satin finishes. The electric scooter also comes with Digital Key and multi-microphone setup for “Hey Ola” voice controls. The scooter comes with a 7-inch touchscreen instruments cluster capable of making calls, reading messages, sharing a location from the onboard GPS, tracking the scooter as well as navigating to the nearest charging station.
Simple One comes with a large full-colour touchscreen instruments cluster with navigation. With the intelligent display, users can also accept and reject calls, set custom themes, play-pause-skip music etc. The scooter also comes with a 30-litre under-seat storage compartment, all LED lights, etc. The Ather 450 comes with features such as a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen dashboard. The touchscreen infotainment system comes with 4G connectivity and Bluetooth 4.2. Ather users can also get Over The Air updates on the instruments cluster.
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