Simple Energy One Electric Scooter Unveiled In India

Bengaluru-based start-up Simple Energy has finally unveiled its first electric scooter on India’s 75th Independence Day. It’s named the Simple One and it comes in at INR 1.10 lakh.The Simple One packs a removable 4.8 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which powers an electric motor that has a base output of 4.5 kW, a peak output of 7 kW and 72 Nm of torque. The Simple One has four ride modes (Eco, Ride, Dash and Sonic), is said to accelerate from 0-40 kph in just 3.05 seconds and has a top speed of 105 kph. It rides on 12-inch wheels, has 30 litres of under-seat storage capacity and weighs in at 110 kg. Simple Energy has said that it has a patented “in-house design for motor chassis and brakes”. The One rides on 12-inch wheels at both ends, with a telescopic fork and a mono-shock for suspension. Like almost every other electric scooter, braking is handled by disc brakes. The scooter is available with two tyres specifications. One variant gets a 90/90-12 front and rear tyre, while the other uses 100/80-12 (front) and 110/80-12 (rear).

The cuboid-shaped battery pack has a metal outer case with a design machined into it and a handle at the top. Part of the 4.8kWh lithium-ion battery is removable. The total battery capacity of the One is almost double that of Ather 450X’s (2.61kWh), and more than double that of TVS iQube’s (2.25kWh). It also has a higher capacity than the unit on the recently-launched Ola S1 and S1 Pro. This is one of the reasons why Simple Energy is able to claim a 203km real-world range (Eco mode). It takes a claimed 2.75 hours to charge the fixed part of the battery from 0 to 80%, with the home charger.

The Simple One has a full-colour, fully-customisable 7.0-inch touchscreen, which incorporates Bluetooth and 4G connectivity, onboard navigation, geo-fencing and vehicle tracking functions. It will also be able to receive over-the-air software updates. It will be offered in a total of four colours – Brazen Black, Namma Red, Grace White and Azure Blue. Simple Energy says it will go live in 75 cities across 13 states in India in the next couple of months; the company is targeting being present in 176 Indian cities by August 2022. The start-up also plans to install 300 'Simple Loop' fast-charging points in the next seven months.