Most industries didn’t fare well in 2020. The electric two-wheeler industry in India too grappled with sales in the pandemic times. Sales fell 20% when just 25,598 units got sold in the financial year 2020-21. But the segment picked up the pace in 2021 first quarter.
The steep rise in fuel prices has catalyzed the burgeoning growth of electric two-wheelers. Here are some telling revelations as below:
- In the first half of 2021, 29,288 units of EV two-wheelers got sold.
- In contrast, last year recorded a sharp decline of 20%
- Hero Electric recorded high sales of around 15000+ units sold in the last 7 months.
- There has been a 41% annual growth in 2020, marking an average of 1,633 units per month.
- Okinawa Autotech sold 5,903 units in 2020, with average sales of 843 units sold per month. They have crossed all previous records in July-2021.
- Ampere Vehicles recorded an annual sale of 3,899 units clocking an average of 557 units per month.
- Hero Electric, Okinawa, and Ampere hold 70% of the market share between each other.
- Ather Energy has exceeded its 2020 performance by nearly 26% within the first half of 2021.
- Reports say Ather has sold about 3,758 units in 2021. As opposed to 2,972 units sold in 2020 and 2,290 units in 2019.
Let’s look at the list of top 10 EV bikes as per popularity in August 2021
- Hero Electric Atria Rs. 63,640
- Okinawa iPraise+ Rs 99,708.00, Okinawa Praise Pro Rs. 76,848.00
- Ampere Zeal Ex Rs. 59,990
- Ather 450X Rs. 1.27 – 1.46 Lakh
- PURE EV Epluto Rs. 71,999
- Revolt RV400 Rs. 1.06 Lakh
- Simple One Rs. 1.09 Lakh
- Ola S1 Rs. 85,099 – 1.10 Lakh
- TVS iQube Electric Rs. 1.00 Lakh
- Bajaj Chetak Rs. 1.00 – 1.15 Lakh
Hero Electric Atria
The market performance of Hero Electric has been phenomenal in the financial year 2020-21, with 53,500 units sold. Since March 2021, the company has clocked between 8,500 to 9,000 approximate unit sales every month. The consumer favorite is Hero Electric Atria, with a price tag of Rs. 63,780 in India. The other popular models are Hero Electric Flash and Hero Electric Optima. Hero Electric Flash targets the youth, and the price is pocket-friendly at Rs 46,640 – 56,940. Hero Electric Optima’s initial price was Rs 61,640 and has now decreased to Rs 51,440 up to Rs 67,440. It is available in two variants of a single and dual battery.
Hero Electric Atria Specifications:
- Riding Range 85 Km
- Top Speed 25 Kmph
- Battery charging time 4-5 Hrs
- Motor Power 250 W
- Kerb Weight 69 kg
- Warranty 5 years
Hero Electric Flash specifications:
- Riding Range 85 Km/Full Charge
- Top Speed 25-42 Kmph
- Battery charging time 4-5 Hours
- Motor Power 250w
- Kerb Weight 66-87 kg
- Warranty 5 years
Hero Electric Optima HX specifications:
- Riding Range 85 Km/Full Charge
- Top Speed 25 Kmph
- Battery charging time 4-5 Hours
- Motor Power 250W
- Kerb Weight 66-86 kg
- Warranty 5 years
Okinawa Praise
A leading contender along with Hero electric is Okinawa Autotech, established in 2015. It offers three high-speed scooters Okinawa Ridge+, Okinawa Praise Pro, and Okinawa iPraise+. The company says that iPraise+ and Praise Pro are the most favored. Selling over 15,000 electric scooters for Q1 FY22. In April, 4,467 units got sold, May sold 5,649 units, and June topped with 5,860 units. Okinawa Praise prices start at Rs. 76,848.
Okinawa ipraise+ Specifications:
- Riding Range 139 km/charge
- Top Speed 58 Kmph
- Battery charging time 4-5 hrs (approx.)
- Motor Power 2500 W
- Kerb Weight 150 kg
- Warranty 3 years or 30000 km
Okinawa Praise Pro Specifications:
- Riding Range 88 km/Charge
- Top Speed 58 Kmph
- Battery charging time 2-3 hrs
- Motor Power 2500 W
- Kerb Weight 150 kg
- Warranty 3 years or 30000 km
Ampere Vehicles
Ampere has hastened India’s EV advancement with a breakthrough of 100,000 EV customers base covering 400 towns across India. An e-mobility business of Greaves Cotton, Ampere Scooters price starts at Rs 37,390. The models in the line-up comprise Reo, Magnus, V48, Zeal, and Reo Elite. The most popular Model is Ampere Zeal. It comes in four lovely colors, cherry red, ocean blue, pearl white, and black. Whereas, Ampere Magnus is the most high-priced at Rs 73,990.
Ampere Zeal Specifications:
- Riding Range 85-90 Kms/full charge
- Top Speed 55 Kmph
- Battery charging time 5-6 hrs
- Motor Power 1200W
- Kerb Weight 78 kg
- Warranty 3 years or 20,000 km
Ather 450X
Ather promises that its 450X can travel for 85km in Eco mode and a modest 70km in Ride mode. An improvement of 10km and 5km in these individual modes. These enhanced traits decrease range concerns for your daily traveling. After the approval of the Government’s FAME-II subsidy revision announcement, Ather Energy reduced the prices. So both Ather 450X and Ather 450 Plus are affordable. They cost Rs 14,500 lesser than they did previously.
Ather 450X specifications:
- Riding Range 116 Km/Charge
- Top Speed 80kmph
- Battery charging time 5.45 Hours
- Motor Power 6000w
- Kerb Weight 108 kg
- USB Charging Port Yes
- Warranty 3years
PURE EV Epluto
The warranty policy of key components for Pure EV has been extended. It has a production capacity of 60,000 electric vehicles per year. The product price tag is Rs. 71,999.
Pure EV Epluto specifications:
- Riding Range 80 Km/Full Charge
- Top Speed 25 kmph
- Battery charging time 4 Hours
- Motor Power 1800 W
- Kerb Weight 79kg
- USB Charging Port Yes
- Warranty 3years
Revolt RV400
A couple of years back, reports emerged that Revolt IntelliCorp was teaming up with platform partner Super Soco. In 2021, we have the new Revolt RV 400 with attractive features. RV 400 comes in two colors Rebel Red, and Cosmic Black. The New Revolt RV400 has the cool innovation of a smartphone-based keyless motor on/off feature. Swipe the Revolt app on your smartphone when you approach your EV and the bike will auto-start. Repeat the process to switch off. The motorcycle can be traced, in a crowded parking lot through this feature.
Revolt RV400 Specifications:
- Riding Range 150 Km/Full Charge
- Top Speed 45-85 kmph
- Battery charging time 4.5 Hours
- Motor Power 3000 w
- Kerb Weight 108 kg
- USB Charging Port Yes
- Warranty 8 years or 150,000kms for battery warranty. 2 years warranty for the battery charger.
Simple One
India’s Electric Vehicle start-up Simple Energy has finally launched the Simple One electric scooter. The pricing pitches competitively at Rs 1,09,999. The brand is available in Bengaluru. The expansion plan is poised to enter 13 more cities, including Chennai and Hyderabad.
Simple One Specifications:
- Riding Range 236km/charge
- Top Speed 105kmph
- Battery charging time 1 hour 5 minutes
- Motor Power 4500 W
- Kerb Weight 110 kg
- Warranty : 3 years
Ola S1
Acclaimed Manufacturer Ola Electric launched the Ola S1 EV scooter in August. The brand proposes to initiate a delivery process that no other brand has ever done. Their unique idea is to have the scooters personally delivered to the customer’s home.
The Ola S1 costs between Rs 85.099 K up to Rs 1.10 Lakh (Ex-showroom, {city}) Ola S1 is available in two variants, STD and Pro.
Ola S1 Specifications:
- Riding Range 181 km/charge
- Top Speed 90 kmph
- Battery charging time 6.30 Hours
- Motor Power 8500 W
- Kerb Weight 125 kg
- Warranty – not specified yet
TVS iQube Electric
The TVS iQube Electric was launched in January 2020. It comes equipped with a TVS SmartXonnect platform. Introduced in Bengaluru, the label later advanced to Delhi and Chennai. Having since launched in Pune and Kochi, the scooter is now coming to more Indian cities.
TVS iQube Electric Specifications:
- Riding Range 75 Km/Full Charge
- Top Speed 78kmph
- Battery charging time 5 Hours
- Motor Power 4.4kw
- Kerb Weight 118 kg
- USB Charging Port Yes
- Warranty 3years (up to 50,000 km)
Bajaj Chetak
The Bajaj Chetak is unique from other electric scooters with a nice metal finish. The features of the Bajaj Chetak are not as wide-ranging as other EV bikes like Ather, for instance. Yet Bajaj Chetak is the only scooter to own an LCD display, while other Scooters have fancy color TFT screens. Bajaj Chetak has two variants: Urbane and Premium. The label has priced them between Rs. 1.00 – 1.15 Lakh.
Bajaj Chetak specifications:
- Riding Range 95 Km/Full Charge
- Top Speed 70kmph
- Battery charging time 5 Hours
- Motor Power 4080w
- Kerb Weight 103 kg
- Warranty 3years
The leaders
As per July reports, EV sales stood at 13,345 units, observing a 229% boost over the earlier monthly sales. Market leaders like Hero Electric, Okinawa, Ampere, and Ather still dominate with a 69% share in July 2021 sales. Other EV brands that contributed success in July are Pure EV 9.8%, Bajaj 5.34%, and TVS 4.8%.
In conclusion
Simple one offers a great range with 236km/charge and a top speed of an incredible 105 kmph. The charging time is just 1.5 hours as compared to others, it seems far more attractive. Hero Electric leads because of branding and affordability while offering a 5-year warranty. Revolt RV400 has a great range at 150km/full charge and a top speed of 45-85 kmph. Ather too is a viable option.
Of course, when the buyer has such a wide plethora on offer, it can be a complex choice.