[mail2sekh]

Hmm , no ownership reviews here even 2 months after deliveries began. Anyway I'd decided to bite the bullet and finally bid vida to my trusted 3-YO Ather 450 and welcomed the Vida V1 Pro home last week.



Here are my quick impressions 6days/150km into it:

• First a first time EV user it is an excellent scooter if you can shell out this kind of money. I feel it is overpriced at 1.7L OTR .

• Many 'finesse' issues across the board.

• For the most part it feels like a downgrade for me. Note that I am comparing to the 2019 version of the Ather 450. Even then.

• The fears I mentioned here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...ml#post5441928 (Hero Vida V1 e-scooter launched at Rs 1.45 lakh) still holds wrt to the switches, the double-seat and the battery charging process.

• So then why ? Well, I am one of the victims of the lack of clear rules in India for EV charging in apartments. So have to go for portable batteries rather than wait for the red tape to unwind.

• Unless otherwise mentioned all comparisons are with the Ather 450.

The Ride:

The Eco mode is more than enough for regular trips.

A cushier ride with a softer suspension.

The ride and sport modes do not give that power burst but is more linear instead. Top speeds are at ~50/65/80 respectively for each mode.

The whirr is higher compared to the iqube/ola but lesser compared to the 450. Sounds good nevertheless.The 'whee' of the Ather's belt drive was/is too loud for EV standards.

Mirrors are well positioned and provide good visibility.

I dont slide down/forward in the seat. Straight sitting position. Ample leg space too.

I was used to sitting with my knees bent backwards. At times I used to ride sitting in the back seat. Not required for the vida.

There is a power boost while overtaking ( switches to sport mode for a few seconds) which can startle you if you are not expecting it. I learnt it the hard way.

Brakes clearly lack the bite. Rear drum + Front disc.

Did a 100km ride towards the BLR airport and back. Held up well.Sport mode reaches a max of 82-84.

The cruise mode works but unlikely that I will end up using it much in traffic.

The turn indicators wobble and feels so flimsy that I had to peel off the plastic wraps from them like a diaper off a baby.

Charging/Batteries/Range:

95-100 kms is the max range in Eco mode. The 165km IDC claim is misleading and was a big disappointment for me. I was expecting 130-140km real world.

Three ways to charge - 1) Take home and charge one battery at a time 2)charge both batteries simultaneously by connecting the portable charger to a point under the seat 3) Fast charging port.

This is how it shows while charging directly. In eco mode the range and battery percentage will more or less tally. So the math is easier.


Charging at home: The charger indicates the charge levels with physical lights blinkers.


I cannot ignore the elephant in the room here - All the EV fire incidents involve the battery(Hope that is a correct statement ?). The triggers could be faulty wiring , electrical shorts etc but the hazard is an exploding battery. And in this case the elephant is literally 'in the room' and there are two ! The Vida batteries are solidly built and the quality appears enterprise grade. However I'll exercise caution here and charge in an airy balcony away from the sun etc.

This is how the charger connects:


The scooter itself:

• Looks are subjective but this feels bigger overall. Heavier too. The 450 was nimble.

Panel gaps at many such places :


Exposed wires and that's the horn hiding at the back ! It is more of a squeak than a honk.


The cavernous boot. But closing that is a ceremony.I gave up eventually


Boot space still left with a full-face helmet:


Key fob: Can unlock the boot , locate the scooter remotely etc. Can stay in your pocket and the scooter's functions work as long as you are within a ~1m vicinity. Poor quality plastic though.


Other Stuff:

• Side-stand switches off the motor - Nice.

• The Y-Connector which can charge both batteries simultaneously comes at an extra cost. Not available today.

• DRLs double up as the regular headlights during the night. I had my doubts but works fine.The high beam is high and powerful. Won't need it normally.

• They give a full size helmet with Vida badging along with the scooter.

• I'm reminded of my first 'EV' times back in 2012 which I still have and charge the battery at home. The Hulikal Avatar with a removable battery. Feels like I've come a full circle :-)

• The app is still not functional. There is no entry in the playstore. They give an apk file which needs to be installed. Navigation , fast charging etc can be done only once that is done. There is a custom mode also to be tried out in the App.

Some of these views can change as it grows on me and hopefully I go fidaa over the Vida

Some other moments captured-

The Orange waiting for its turn :


Good visibility in direct sunlight. The photo does not do justice.


There is a dark mode too to which it can auto-switch.


A Bee's head zoomed or is it just me ?


A USB charging port , the motor ON button , the boot open button right below , the fast charger port , the grocery bag hook , tyre pressure sticker etc.
Almost always I open the boot while trying to turn on the motor. Also am yet to figure out a repeatable process for the most basic of all functions - "Turn on/off the scooter". It is always some weird combination of long and short presses which somehow work. I want to have a conversation with the designer of that UI and that system.

[Torino]

Originally Posted by mail2sekh

finally bid vida to my trusted 3-YO Ather 450 and welcomed the Vida V1 Pro home last week.

Nice crisp review!.

For how much did you sell your 3YO Ather 450? And what was the battery storage capacity % after 3 years/ODO reading?

[mail2sekh]

Originally Posted by Torino

Nice crisp review!.

For how much did you sell your 3YO Ather 450? And what was the battery storage capacity % after 3 years/ODO reading?

I'd bought it on lease with a 50K down payment and 3Kpm EMI. At the end of 3 years , the options were to retain the vehicle by paying 10K or return it and take home 50K.I chose the latter.

ODO was at 4K most of which happened post Covid in the last 1.5 years. Battery storage drain - dont know how I could have checked that.Overall range was still in the 70-75KM bracket on a full charge in Eco mode. Was the same when I bought it. What I had noticed though was that if I just turn off the Ather overnight I lose 4-5 km by morning. If I 'shutdown' there was minimal drain.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by mail2sekh

• So then why ? Well, I am one of the victims of the lack of clear rules in India for EV charging in apartments. So have to go for portable batteries rather than wait for the red tape to unwind.

Hey, nice review there. The Vida sure seems to be an interesting proposition. With some price cuts/discounts it can easily become one of the top selling electric scooters in India.

Its interesting you menion about rules for EV Charging in apartments. My apartment has the same issue - there are no charging points in the individual parking bays in Basement level 1 and Level 2 (We don't have ground floor parking).

However, in my case there is a simple workaround (not sure in your case is it the same). The elevators are connected to the basement parking. The way from parking to elevator is sufficient to take the scooter Inside the elevator, and straight to the flat via the elevator (just like a bycycle). And it can then be even taken inside the home for charging. So, no real need of EV charging point at apartment parking in such scenario, for two-wheelers.

[Aditya]

Vida V1 Pro | Ownership Review - Posts moved to a new thread.

[rahulk2510]

Hi,

Thanks for the review. Any further updates on your experience post your last post of March'23. Vida is now available in Mumbai due to the charging issue in Mumbai apartments, removable batteries makes more sense.

Thanks.

[mail2sekh]

Originally Posted by rahulk2510

Hi,

Thanks for the review. Any further updates on your experience post your last post of March'23. Vida is now available in Mumbai due to the charging issue in Mumbai apartments, removable batteries makes more sense.

Thanks.

Here you go:

3 months , 900kms and stronger biceps later:

Things which I anticipated and is also useful in day to day life:

• The increased range of 100km. Lasts a week without recharging for the office, school drops, groceries, gym etc - all within 5 kms.

• Alternate charging of each battery while the other one does its job in the scooter. After I add the fully charged one back - the juice starts getting consumed from that one until the % reaches the existing one's level and then they start draining equally.

• The battery charging routine. 11Kgs and (22kgs at times when I charge both on a weekend) up to the 9th floor in my apartment and down. The biceps reference . I wish the battery extraction process had been more sophisticated.

• Smooth ride over bumpy roads with that soft suspension.

Stuff which I ddn't know/or thought I ddn't need but actually turning out to be useful :

• The remote key. Stays mostly in my bag nowadays. Works well at a close enough proximity to the scooter. Turning on the scooter with a key had become muscle memory - now unlearning.

• Cruise - first time experience in a two wheeler. On regular routes for short distances(yes, even in bangalore traffic) I turn it on and gives a few seconds of relief to the wrist.Activates only above 30kmph - should have been 20 considering it is a 2-wheeler. The good thing is the cruise 'mode' stays on even between restarts.

• Locking the scooter with the handlebar in the opposite direction. Incredibly useful while parking in tight spaces.

• More spacious than the Ather - Two adults + small kid can travel in relative comfort.

• The typical 20L water can fits in the gap infront of the seat.

The bad:

• Undoubtedly the rear brakes which is practically non-existent. You can even move the vehicle with the rear brakes engaged. Yes, even after servicing. They gave some gyan about rear hub motor cannot have disk brakes etc. Net result being , you end up pulling both brakes with all your might if you are above 60 and hope for the best.

• The first service experience at 500kms. More of a formality - they just washed and returned it I feel. One good thing which came out of that was that the basic issue of the exasperating wait to turn on the motor which I mentioned earlier is sorted now. The boot and ignition being next to each other causes the boot to open >50% of the time when we start the motor.

• Only turn by turn directions in the 'map' on the screen. It's a hassle to start the app , then start map in the app and then transfer to the scooter etc. It has rarely worked properly as well due to connectivity issues. So never bothered to use.

• The scooter is heavy. So have to be careful while parking, taking U turns etc. The parking mode is useful though for reversing.

• The seat closing process is still a ceremony as I mentioned in my initial review.

Other notes and observations:

• Got an email towards the end of May saying a 20K refund will be processed for the overall charger/FAME subsidy issue going around. No further updates since.

• Have not figured out how the regen works. The app has a custom mode setting for regen levels, speed limits etc. The reverse throttle is supposed to send charge back in but atleast there is no discernible braking 'feel' to it like the Ather.

• There are two trip meters but both have to be manually reset every time. Should have started at 0 for every ride to measure the distance travelled.

• Tried the DC fast charger once and the under seat charging point as well at a friend's place. Both these methods charge both batteries simultaneously.

• The second small boot is also useful to hold stuff during that quick dart to the grocery store while the larger one holds the full face helmet + other stuff

• Never used the USB charging port. Should have had a mobile holder pocket atleast up front. I believe that is sold as an external accessory.

Originally Posted by mail2sekh

Hmm , no ownership reviews here even 2 months after deliveries began. Anyway I'd decided to bite the bullet and finally bid vida to my trusted 3-YO Ather 450 and welcomed the Vida V1 Pro home last week.

Some of these views can change as it grows on me and hopefully I go fidaa over the Vida

[Sureshmadhan]

Thanks for the details. I had just booked the VIDA V1 PRO. My wife did TD of both IQUBE and VIDA back to back and she found VIDA was more friendly for her riding. This is my first EV test drive and was really excited to feel how it moved without any fuss.
Let me pen some quick observations between IQUBE and VIDA (apart from technical specs)

I QUBE:
I QUBE had feel at home without much of electronics in place.
It was showing the regen which is absent in VIDA.
Seats are smaller.
Proper key with padlocks.
Clean design.
No touch in the display.

VIDA
Need to learn the electronics and keyless start/stop.
Feature rich.
Rides better.
Looks good somehow with those modern design.(I liked both I QUBE and VIDA here)
Panel gaps and quality of the plastics are debatable.
USP is the Removable battery. It can extrapolate to swappable battery in the future.
5 years warranty on the motor.

Can some of the VIDA users in this forum help me know if the scooter can be left without locking it. In my community we all keep our 2 wheelers unlocked so that it can pave the way for cars to take in and out.

[Chewbacca]

Originally Posted by mail2sekh

The whirr is higher compared to the iqube/ola but lesser compared to the 450. Sounds good nevertheless.The 'whee' of the Ather's belt drive was/is too loud for EV standards.

Can you please elaborate on this 'whee'? Everytime a EV scooter passes me I wonder which make/model was that because the whine of the motor/belt/electronic hurt my ears. I'm trying to identify the exact source of that noise, whether it is the motor itself, or the belt or the electronic controller unit ?

I asked some EV user friends of mine and they seemed to be bothered more with the loud beep-beep notifications (battery status / start-up / reverse mode etc) especially when the vehicle is within the building premises and this noise rebounds off concrete walls and multiples.

Can someone tell me which EV scooter has the lowest whine / whee noise and least intrusive electronic beeps. This noise issue kinda beats the very purpose of buying an EV for people like me seeking a quieter ride.

[aim120]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Can someone tell me which EV scooter has the lowest whine / whee noise and least intrusive electronic beeps. This noise issue kinda beats the very purpose of buying an EV for people like me seeking a quieter ride.

Tvs IQube or any scooter with a Hub motor will have the lowest whine noise. The loudest is all the Ather scooters, you can hear them from 200 meters away in the night, its louder then even a IC scooter.

Ola S1 scooter is quiet but unfortunately it makes all sorts of beeps from its speaker like locking, unlocking, reversing.

[pedrolourenco]

Congratulations.

No offence but I somehow can't digest the looks and quality of the Vida. Either design something retro looking like the Chetak or Ola or something futuristic like the Ather. Otherwise stick to the plain Jane looks of the iQube. IMO the Vida is ugly. However the features seem good particularly the extended range and removable batteries. These 2 features are a deal breaker for many and Hero has picked that up very well. Also Hero being an established company, expect the niggles and QC is to sorted quickly.

[Nonstop-driver]

Originally Posted by mail2sekh

I cannot ignore the elephant in the room here - All the EV fire incidents involve the battery(Hope that is a correct statement ?). The triggers could be faulty wiring , electrical shorts etc but the hazard is an exploding battery. And in this case the elephant is literally 'in the room' and there are two ! The Vida batteries are solidly built and the quality appears enterprise grade. However I'll exercise caution here and charge in an airy balcony away from the sun etc.

I was considering buying Vida V1 since we don't have an EV charging port in our apartment complex right now but reading this makes me wonder if it's a good idea to charge batteries at home. I have heard of EV scooter catching fire but is it same as the batteries going off while charging at home?

[mail2sekh]

3000 km update:

Overall does the job as expected, no deal-breaker issues for a first product release ( Read below on the bloopers I had raised in the initial reviews which I have learnt to live with)
The 100km real world range in Eco mode is pretty much steady still after 9 months. That's a relief.
The batteries are functioning well with re-charges every other week.
Cruise and reverse mode is sweet, works as expected.
The ride quality and handling is good.

Annoying beeps and flashing lights many times when I lock or unlock. It takes 2 or 3 attempts to finally settle it down.

I have not figured out how the Regen works in this - a reverse turn of the accelerator used to do the job in the Ather. Here it shows the blue indicator( I assume battery charging?) as you let go of the throttle but if you do the reverse throttle then the blue bar goes back.

My scooter does not go >65kmph even in sport mode. It used to go till 80 but at some point something has kicked in - looks like a software block.I do not have custom mode enabled. But then, I am in Namma Bengaluru - so not complaining :-)

Learnt to live with:
The non-existent rear brakes.No excuses there :(
The weird seat design(I can never close it manually but it eventually locks itself with a pillion + pothole combination :-/)
The terrible switches on the left handlebar. Hardly use them because your thumb can go numb if you try.
The flimsy battery compartment locks ( they don't work any more as expected )

Never/Rarely used:
--The USB port
--The center stand
--The Vida App.
--Navigation (Feels like an attempt which made sense in 2005. Useless in this day. I end up carrying the phone for Google maps. That's sorely missed - Hero?!)
--Fast charging. Does it work now with Ather grid ? It did not the last time I checked.

Originally Posted by Sureshmadhan

Thanks for the details.
Can some of the VIDA users in this forum help me know if the scooter can be left without locking it. In my community we all keep our 2 wheelers unlocked so that it can pave the way for cars to take in and out.

The scooter can be kept unlocked as you cannot do anything without the keys like any other scooter. However many a time it starts beeping for weird reasons. Either the swipe on the screen did not go through properly or the keyfob was not within the BT radius etc.

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Can you please elaborate on this 'whee'? Everytime a EV scooter passes me I wonder which make/model was that because the whine of the motor/belt/electronic hurt my ears.This noise issue kinda beats the very purpose of buying an EV for people like me seeking a quieter ride.

The Whee is not intrusive like the Ather's. I believe it is its belt which emits that noise. In this case it is a hub motor - so quieter.The turn indicator/reverse sounds can be turned off in the settings. The Olas and IQubes runs are closer to silence than the Vida.

Originally Posted by Nonstop-driver

I was considering buying Vida V1 since we don't have an EV charging port in our apartment complex right now but reading this makes me wonder if it's a good idea to charge batteries at home. I have heard of EV scooter catching fire but is it same as the batteries going off while charging at home?

It has been 9+ months now and I recharge pretty much every week at home. I can say that these batteries are solidly built and have given no cause for worry. I initially connected them only in the open balcones, then the living room and now wherever the nearest plug is in the house
The charger fan's hum can bother you if you have a thing for such sounds.

[v4run]

I really wish they redid the seat design and launched a gen 2 of this or something. I daily have a wrestle and do a cpr on the seat. I added foam to the seat and it got thicker all around and the problem intensifies.
The regen works best in sports mode and in eco it is non existent.

[maG0162]

Hi bhpians,

I have a plan to buy an electric scooter late this year. Have shortlisted to Hero Vida v1 or Bajaj Chetak urbane.
Between the two, preferred Vida. Reasons:
1. Available fast charging network. Ather network also available.
2. Removable battery. Can charge one battery while riding with other.

Last week saw this videos of Vida wheel broken/crack:

https://youtu.be/1fsIZzqIeXU?si=xvsbm_LbeYmL0DD7

https://youtu.be/DdIBztIy32s?si=12A4kATtFUaM46MQ

Saw this issue at no other place. Is there any similar issues reported?
With the safety concern should I go for Chetak?