[TusharK]

Bangalore-based EV startup River has launched its first electric scooter called the 'Indie' in the Indian market. The e-scooter is priced at Rs 1.25 lakh (ex-showroom, Bangalore). Deliveries will begin in August 2023.



The River Indie is available in two variants: Utility and Lifestyle. It features a quirky design with twin headlamps, a rectangular tail light and a 6-inch digital instrument console. The scooter rides on 14-inch alloy wheels.



The Indie e-scooter comes with a massive 43-litre under-seat storage compartment and a 12-litre front glove box. The company also offers Lock & Load pannier stays on the sides.



The River Indie is equipped with an electric motor that makes 9 BHP and has a peak torque output of 26 Nm. It is powered by a 4 kWh battery pack offering 120 km of range. The company claims that it takes 5 hours to charge the battery from 0-80% using a standard charger.

The River Indie gets telescopic fork suspension at the front and disc brakes at both ends. The rider can switch between three riding modes: Eco, Ride and Rush. Other features include two USB charging ports and a reverse parking assist.

Link to Team-BHP News

Mod Note: Our River Indie Electric Scooter Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks!

[SKC-auto]

Looks like it comes with CCS AC charging port, I believe people who already have electric cars can use the same charger, societies who provide AC charging can also be utilized.

Aerox vs Indie

Wheelbase 1350 vs 1365
Seat height 790 vs 770
Ground clearance 145 vs 165
Both have 14inch wheels
Storage 24.5L vs 43L

[davelok]

Looks like a good option for two for short trips outside the city, if it proves itself on the quality front. I just hope it has a good load carrying capacity to accommodate heavier riders/passengers.

[catchjyoti]

Oh man, this is a beauty! Love the 14 inch wheels, 770 mm seat height, great ground clearance and storage.

[GTO]

Wow! Just love the design. What an eye-catcher.

Who is River? Is the Indie developed by them, or a Chinese import?

[Gansan]

Among all the Ev two wheeler designs I have seen so far, this one is the most attractive. I hope they don't flatter to deceive.

[Senotrius]

Points for the crash bar and front footpegs on the side. High time both are incorporated on most scooters here. Was unable find any such mod for my scooter

[sri_tesla]

This looks very promising. Battery capacity, design, range, performance, and pricing make it a compelling option among the current models. Hopefully, they will able to deliver a quality product on time.

Originally Posted by GTO

Wow! Just love the design. What an eye-catcher.

Who is River? Is the Indie developed by them, or a Chinese import?

River raised $13 million so far from different VC funds including Toyota ventures and Trucks.vc, etc... Toyota Ventures, and Trucks VC mentioned River as one of their investments on their official websites. The design especially the dual lights at the front are similar to Yamaha Neo electric scooter. Other than that, I don't find any Chinese electric scooters with similar designs as of now, but the design looks more like Chinese or other Southeast Asian utility scooter designs.

River is not over-promising when it comes to specs, range, or production targets. They are targeting to have a 1 lakh per year capacity by 2025. More details in the below link.

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com...w/98126738.cms

Few walk-around videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3kFhRS0PWU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TywfTNRNV1s

[aargee]

How many of you feel these these many luggage accessories would justify Aerox 155 to be an awesome unbeatable touring scooter, much more than even a motorcycle? I doubt even if Honda would've offered these many luggage options for CB500X!!

[Axe77]

Wow!! Blown away by this but unfortunately Ola has caused me to be far more cynical than I’d like to be. Who are these folks and what’s the source of the tech / product etc, can anyone shed some more light please?

Great design - doesn’t try to copy anyone else (to the best of my knowledge) and very decent middle of ground specs too.

I really hope this turns out to be a credible product on every front. It makes for a very tempting proposition indeed. Good enough range to be a city runabout. 14” wheels for that extra sense of stability, great storage. Great touring capability for those who might want to go longer. Easy AC charging ability.

@River: Bring it ON … but most importantly, please bring it RIGHT!

[inmotioninc]

Originally Posted by aargee

How many of you feel these these many luggage accessories would justify Aerox 155 to be an awesome unbeatable touring scooter, much more than even a motorcycle?

It indeed looks like it would be great for touring. But with a 120km range it is not going to go too far. Perhaps it would be more useful for commercial purposes like for delivery personnel etc.

Btw, the company is giving me a lot of Rivian vibes especially with their thoughtful design touches. Even the name sounds similar. River. Rivian.

[Avinash_R]

Their website is up and running

https://www.rideriver.com/

[shastryBLR]

River folks based out of BLR! They are ex ultraviolette, with serious industry experience. Link to people page


Young Indians are done with screeching EV brands- they want a high-quality product with a great ownership experience- at a value + some premium cost. The strategy may be to let the product market itself. I personally own an Aprilia sr160, Not planning to switch to EVs at least for the next few years.

Fingers crossed

[parrys]

Originally Posted by GTO

Wow! Just love the design. What an eye-catcher.

Who is River? Is the Indie developed by them, or a Chinese import?

It's a completely new brand, not working under any current big brand from our market. Except for the battery cells which are imported, the brand says everything else on the Indie is designed and made in India.

I was at the launch, and the scooter is quirky, but very desirable. For a pre-series-production prototype, the quality seemed much better than some electric scooters already on sale.

The chief of design is the same guy who worked on the Honda Navi, so his THINK DIFFERENT philosophy is clearly showing here. The front foot peg integration is genius. We see so many scooter riders with their feet jutting out of the floor board because they are carrying luggage there.

I only wished the speedometer clusted looked a little better. I'm not a fan of touchscreen panels on a two-wheeler, but this could surely look better.

Ideal range is 150 kms, but the brand is claiming the 120 km true range. So appreciate their honesty while other brands would have pushed the 150 number.

I hope that once in series production, the quality is ensured and the product meets the delivery timeline. Their sales target is modest, to streamline the business operation.

[Drivaholic@2727]

This is absolutely stunning. If the man behind this is the designer of the Honda Navi then we should realize that the Indie will be a revolutionary product. I just hope River will get the pricing and quality right.