All thanks to an additional battery pack
Electric scooters are great for getting around dense cities but more often than not, they are equipped with small-capacity batteries, leading to a phenomenon not unfamiliar to EV owners known as range anxiety.
To help alleviate this anxiety among its customers, Indian electric scooter manufacturer Simple Energy has announced the availability of an additional battery pack for its flagship electric scooter, the One. With a capacity of 1.6 kWh, the additional battery pack will allow the One to cover up to 300 km on a single charge, almost 70 km more than what it is originally capable of with the standard 4.6 kWh battery.
According to Simple Energy, the battery pack can be stored in the One’s 30-litre underseat storage compartment for easy access. The company says the optional item commands a premium of INR35,999 (RM1,957) over the original price of the electric scooter, which is INR1,09,000 (RM5,927), adding that first deliveries are expected to get under way in June.
Suhas Rajkumar, Founder and CEO, Simple Energy, said, “When we conceived the Simple One, we had the aim of offering an electric scooter that could offer enough range for users to not have to worry about range or charging. Offering an extra battery will allow power users to reach destinations that no other electric two-wheeler in India can. This additional battery can easily fit in the boot of the scooter offering a range of over 300 km. This is a big milestone – not just for Simple Energy, but for the EV industry. This move will also go a long way in bolstering the perception of electric scooters.”
Powering the One is an 8.5-kW electric motor capable of generating a maximum torque of 72 Nm, said to be the highest in the industry. On paper, it can accelerate from 0 to 40 km/h in less than three seconds and reach a top speed of 105 km/h. A digital instrument cluster, which can be connected to a smartphone, provides access to on-board navigation, riding modes, music playback and more. Additional upgrades are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
