EXCLUSIVE: After Ola and Ather, Simple’s low-cost electric scooters launching soon

Electric two-wheeler manufacturers in India have ramped up the investments in research and development to tackle the challenges such as affordability, range anxiety and safety concerns. And with the advancements in their quest to minimize the roadblocks, EV makers such as Ola Electric and Ather Energy recently expanded their portfolios with more affordable options namely – the Ola S1 Air and Ather 450S.

Now, as confirmed by our sources, Bengaluru-based EV manufacturer Simple Energy, is gearing up to launch not one but two low-cost electric scooters in India. The company has already filed the trademarks for their names, Simple Dot One and Dot One, respectively.

While there’s little known about the scooters, our sources say that the duo can be expected to deliver a range of 180 km, which is enough to eliminate any kind of range anxiety for city commute. In contrast, the Simple One, the manufacturer’s sole product in the market, delivers a segment-leading, certified range of 212 km (IDC).
As for upcoming scooters, Simple Energy is expected to bring the cost closer to the 1 lakh-mark. This will be achieved by reducing the battery size as it is the most expensive and one of the core components of an electric vehicle. However, it remains to be seen if, like rivals Ola and Ather, the company would also cut down a few features.
The Simple One electric scooter was launched earlier this year at a starting price of Rs 1.45 lakh, ex-showroom. It has been equipped the One with a PMS mid-drive motor rated for 8.5kW of peak power (4.5 kW continuous) and 72 Nm of peak torque. The EV can achieve 40 kmph from a standstill in just 2.77 seconds while its top-speed is governed at 105 kmph.