Electric scooters have become a viable alternative to petrol scooters in the face of rising fuel prices. Here are the best electric scooters you can buy in India.
Electric scooters in India are available in all shapes and sizes. To help you find the right one, we have compiled a list of the best electric scooters currently available in India. The list comprises e-scooters from both established and new companies. These scooters are not only environmentally friendly but also have lower maintenance and running costs compared to their ICE variants. Moreover, some of the electric scooters, if not all, now match their petrol variants, and with government subsidies from the central and state governments (subject to change), you can further bring the cost down. On that note, here are our top 10 electric scooters.
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In July 2022, Ather Energy updated its flagship electric scooter with the third generation iteration, dubbed the Ather Energy 450x Gen 3. The scooter offers a more powerful electric motor that can produce an equivalent of 8.7 bhp of power and an ARAI-certified riding range of 146 km. Not only this, Ather's already well-engineered scooter body is now even better-built thanks to an all-aluminium frame.
It also gets a new tread profile for the tyres, as well as a new tyre pressure monitoring system accessory. Even its digital dashboard has been upgraded with more RAM to make operations smoother and easier. The Ather 450x Gen 3 is arguably the best electric scooter that you can buy in India. From ride quality to build and overall experience, this is one of the most premium electric scooters on Indian roads right now.
The Ather electric scooter is selling in India for Rs 1,39,000 (ex-showroom). The pricing may vary depending on the region.
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Hero Electric, not to be confused with Hero Motocorp, is still one of the most recognisable names in the EV industry at the moment. Rightfully, the Sohinder Singh Gill-led company is one of the most popular when it comes to electric scooters on Indian roads, and one of the company's most reliable workhorses is the Hero Electric Optima CX. We particularly recommend the dual-battery model of the scooter, which offers an excellent certified range of 140 km per charge cycle.
It also has a detachable battery, which makes it even more convenient as you can charge the battery when at home without needing a mobile charging station, necessarily. The scooter can travel at a peak speed of 45 kmph, thereby being rated as ideal for city commutes. You also get features such as a digital instrument cluster, a USB port for charging your mobile device, and regenerative braking for increasing your riding range.
The EV is priced in Delhi, India at Rs 85,190 (ex-showroom).
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Bajaj Chetak was one of the most prominent and popular scooter brands in the past, and now the company is reviving it in its electric form. The scooter's design is an amalgamation of its old heritage and new modern aesthetics, and it looks beautiful. Talking about the specs, it has a range of up to 108km with the battery rated to last for 70,000 kilometres or 7 years.
The battery has a quick charging feature that can charge up to 25 percent in only an hour, with a full charge taking 5 hours. Its steel body is built to last and comes with an IP67 water and dust-resistant rating. There's no doubt it's a premium scooter, but its price is still too steep.
The Bajaj Chetak starts for Rs 1,21,000 (ex-showroom)
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The Ola S1 Pro Gen2 is the company's premium electric two-wheeler offering. The vehicle comes with 195km of claimed range on a single charge and can reach top speeds of 120km/h. The Ola S1 Pro can accelerate its way from zero to 40km/h in just 2.6 seconds.
Under the hood is a 4kWh battery pack that can take 6.5 hours to charge using the home charger. Besides that, Ola has set up various Hyperchargers across cities in India that allows riders to quickly top up their Ola S1s. Several key and unique features include Party mode to play music via the scooter's loudspeakers, Vacation mode, and OTA updates that bring improvements and new functionality to the EV's MoveOS.
The Ola S1 Pro Gen2 is priced at Rs 1,47,499 (ex-showroom).
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The Vida V1 Plus and V1 Pro come at an ex-showroom price of Rs 1,28,000 and Rs 1,39,000 respectively which includes the FAME II and state subsidy. Additionally, the reservation price is set at Rs 2,499.
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The TVS iQube ST electric scooter stands out for looking more conventional, but that also comes with its own perks. For one, the iQube ST has one of the biggest boot spaces, capable of fitting two full-sized helmets to ensure safety for yourself and your companion. But, that's not all. The scooter comes with a peak riding range of 145 km in economy mode and 110 km in performance mode. When riding in the latter, the scooter can reach a pretty solid riding speed of 82 kmph, which makes it one of the best-performing electric scooters in the market.
You also get a 7-inch touchscreen that offers Amazon Alexa voice assistant integration, music playback via Bluetooth, and even social media notifications on screen, while following all necessary safety measures to prevent you from being distracted. All things considered, the iQube ST from TVS is among the most robust and reliable electric scooters on the market, and it is even available in four colour variants!
The TVS iQube ST comes with a sticker price of Rs 1,09,256 (ex-showroom) in Delhi.
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Okinawa is an Indian brand and Praise Pro is one of its leading offerings in the e-bike segment. It has a fibre-based body, alloy wheels, a disk brake on the front, a fairly spacious footbed, a phone charging USB-A port, a digital dashboard, and a powerful electric motor. There is a switch on the right side to toggle between Eco mode and Sport mode. The latter increases the speed. However, if you want to push the speed even further, the Turbo mode.
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Next up on the list is TVS X which is currently India's most expensive electric two-wheeler. It rocks a robust and futuristic design language that makes it completely distinct from the other electric scooters out there. TVS X comes with an IDC range of 140km that gains power from a 4.4kWh battery unit. The electric motor is capable enough to deliver a peak power of 11kW and 40Nm of torque.
Coming to charging, TVS X can go from 0 to 50 percent in just 50 minutes using the add-on 3kW fast charger. On the other hand, the 950W portable charger tops up the scooter in 4 hours and 30 minutes from 0 to 80 percent. Up front, there's a 10.25-inch HD display that helps the rider view various crucial stats about the vehicle.
The TVS X can be purchased for Rs 2,50,000 (ex-showroom).
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The Ampere Primus is a stylish and sporty-looking electric scooter that has been recently launched in the Indian market. Packed inside the vehicle is a 4 kW motor that helps in achieving top speeds of 77 kmph and can accelerate from 0 to 40 kph in 4.2 seconds.
Other than that, the Ampere Primus is powered by a 3kWh battery that is claimed to provide a range of 107km in Power mode on a single charge. Riding modes include City and Eco. The battery can take up to 5 hours to charge using a 5A outlet. Lastly, Ampere packs in a digital instrument cluster, reverse mode, Bluetooth connectivity, and more.
The Ampere Primus has been priced at Rs 1,10,000 (ex-showroom) in India
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The Ola S1X+, the highest-end model in the S1X series was recently launched by the company during its annual event. The electric two-wheeler comes with an ARAI range of 151km along with top speeds of up to 90 kmph. Speaking of speeds, S1X+ can accelerate to 60 kmph from a standstill position in 5.5 seconds.
Packed inside is a 3kWh battery pack that can take 7.4 hours to charge using a 500W charger. Riders can get the most out of the range by switching between various driving modes which include Eco, Normal, and Sports. Coming to features, the scooter has a 5-inch LCD-based instrumental cluster that can used to access features of Ola's proprietary software, MoveOS.
The Ola S1X+ can be purchased for Rs 1,09,999 (ex-showroom) and the deliveries will begin by the end of September 2023.
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There are several types of electric scooters available in India, including some, which don't even require you to have a license to drive. In this list, we have covered electric scooters that can handle the daily needs of an average scooter user in India.
ELECTRIC SCOOTER | PRICE (EX-SHOWROOM) |
Ather Energy 450x Gen 3 | Rs 1,39,000 |
Hero Electric Optima CX (Dual-battery) | Rs 85,190 |
Bajaj Chetak | Rs 1,21,000 |
Ola S1 Pro Gen2 | Rs 1,47,499 |
Hero Vida V1 | Rs 1,28,000 |
TVS iQube ST | Rs 1,09,256 |
Okinawa Praise Pro | Rs 87,593 |
TVS X | Rs 2,50,000 |
Ampere Primus | Rs 1,10,000 |
Ola S1X+ | Rs 1,09,999 |
While an electric scooter has numerous benefits, it isn't for everyone just yet. Buy an electric scooter
If you plan on commuting on your electric scooter to cover long distances, ensure it has a decent range on a single range. Considering the EV infrastructure is still in its development stage in India, you may not get a charging station on your journey which can be a bit problematic. Look for EV scooters that have a claimed range of at least 120km for long rides.
Most electronic scooters in India have top speeds of not more than 100km/h. However, scooters like the Ola S1 Pro Gen2 can touch speeds of 120km/h.
To choose the best electric scooter, ensure that the vehicle you're opting for has a large enough battery that can deliver decent range aka mileage. Similarly, check for the additional features you're getting with the two-wheeler such as app connectivity, reverse mode, fast charging support, and navigation assist.