[libranof1987]

River Indie Electric Scooter Review

River Indie Pros

• Very distinct styling that makes the Indie immediately stand out in a vast sea of two-wheelers
• Lots of customization possible through accessories, making the scooter very versatile in terms of applications and user profile
• 3 Riding Modes with varying power delivery and range allow for flexibility of use
• Motor produces 9 BHP and 26 Nm of torque. Riding in Rush mode is tremendous fun!
• 4 kWh battery gives the e-scooter a realistic range of ~120 km in Eco mode which is generous for bumper-to-bumper traffic
• Ample storage space and then some more! 43 litres of under-seat storage capacity, 12 litres of glovebox space, and more on the floorboard / storage hook
• The bike feels sturdy and easy to maneuver. Wide seat, extended front footrests and ample leg / knee room make for comfortable ergonomics

River Indie Cons

• We expected more aggressive pricing, relative to the entrenched players. Furthermore, the pre-launch price tag of 1.25 lakhs will be increased soon
• Missing features like phone pairing (music, calls), turn-by-turn navigation, ABS. Also, a very basic MID display
• Fit and finish could be better. A few plastic panels and body parts feel extremely flimsy
• Several features such as fast charging, connectivity features, and Accessories are still under development
• With a dealer and service centre network yet to be set up, buying and servicing experience are unknown. Additionally, expect sales outside Bangalore / Karnataka only in the next fiscal year
• This being a new product from a new company, the long-term ownership experience is unknown

Introduction

There are dime a dozen scooters in the market today, and making their presence felt is the electric scooter brigade. The electric mobility market has had what one would call an "open season" in the past few years with products being launched at break-neck speed, by both legacy manufacturers as well entirely new companies. India is a very large two-wheeler market, with every family having a scooter parked in the garage with undeniable certainty. This ballooning market has space for everyone.

Throwing their hat in the EV ring is River, a Bangalore-based startup founded in 2021, with their first offering - Indie. Labelled the "SUV of scooters", the Indie brings a unique approach and design to 2W mobility. With innovations such as floorboard footpegs, side panniers and a top box, and design elements such as twin-beam LED headlamps, and a bulky body, the Indie commands everyone's attention. And once you ride it, the scooter ensures it leaves you with a lasting impression.

What is refreshing about the Indie is how it seeks to create a niche for itself through bold styling, and versatility. As River puts it, the Indie looks at creating a market segment that is a blend of utility and individuality. First impressions show that they might have just pulled it off.

Developed ground up in about two years, the River was launched in Feb 2023 and is set for deliveries by the end of September / early October 2023. Except for the Li-ion cells, the Indie is about 99% localized.

River has a production capacity of 1 lakh units / year at their facility in Hoskote, Karnataka and is currently using about a third of that. They have two assembly lines, one each for the scooter and battery. With their manufacturing plant close to that of their ICE peers, they share similar vendors such as Mahle and Gabriel among others.

While River has ticked off most boxes with the Indie, it will without doubt face its fair share of teething problems as it builds a sales and service network and starts deliveries. Given the immense and intense competition in the market with ICE siblings and EV peers, their learning + execution curve has got to be very steep, and the coming few months are going to be crucial in the scaling up of their operations.

River Indie Pricing

The River Indie was launched back in February this year at Rs. 1.25 lakh ex-showroom. Much has happened since then, with the govt. reducing the subsidy for EVs under FAME.

However, River has committed to honouring the introductory price of Rs. 1.25 lakh ex-showroom price for all the pre-launch customers. That's about the first 4,000 customers of the 6,000 bookings that they have received so far.

River has indicated that the price will be revised, along with other terms (such as Extended Warranty and equipment provided standard) in due course once they decide to resume taking bookings (bookings are currently on hold).

This introductory price puts the Indie right in the same price band vis-à-vis its competitors with comparable range. Some of them include the Ola S1 Pro, Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube S and Vida V1 Pro. With the price expected to go up for new customers, it will likely take the Indie to the expensive end of the spectrum of scooters with a comparable range. While some competitors have multiple variants of the same scooter with varying range capabilities and hence can compete across a wide price band, Indie comes in only one variant.

[libranof1987]

Design & Styling

The Indie packs a strong punch with its bold and stylish design language. While other electric scooters have made it a point to appear sleek and slender, the Indie bulks up to appear sturdy. The product brief for the Indie was to hit a sweet spot between utility and individuality. The design of the scooter seems to have achieved that. The design is bold, and yet, pleasing to the eye. None of the elements are over-the-top or too in-your-face. The Indie's design ensures anyone would enjoy being seen riding it.

Up front, alongside the twin beam LED headlights are the LED frosted-tube signature lamps. As with the signature lamps, the headlights are always on and get a high beam / flash mode. Right behind the headlight cluster is a covered storage space.

While you could install accessories such as pannier mounts and crash guards, you could also have blank panels instead for a cleaner, flush look.

Build Quality, Fit & Finish

The Indie gets a steel tubular dual cradle chassis with a stated load-bearing capacity of 200 kg. The scooter seems very well put together and with a kerb weight of 140 kg, the Indie does feel sturdily built.

The paint quality seems good and there aren't any dangling wires or unusual panel gaps. There are, however, a few areas where the fit and finish leaves a bit to be desired. For instance, the front storage cover is very flimsy, and the footpegs often come out by themselves. The handlebar / MID area could have been finished better, the bolts are exposed and the entire look isn't as clean as you'd like.

Features and Instrumentation

The Indie comes with a 6-inch colour EBN (Enhanced Black Nematic) Multi-Information Display that is IP67 water resistant.

It displays the usual set of information such as:

- Trip details: Odometer, Trip A, Trip B, Time
- Riding Modes (Eco, Ride, Rush)
- Power output, Battery Charge, Time to charge
- Battery Capacity and Range
- Warning for the side stand
- Parking mode: forward and backward

Note that the engineers mentioned that this MID unit would not be able to support enhanced features such as phone connectivity (calls, turn-by-turn navigation).

The Indie also comes with a slew of safety features:

1. Software prediction: Power modulation based on temperature, decided by software.
2. Electric protection: Reaction to faults to protect rider / scooter.
3. Mechanical protection: Ability to sustain 100 kN of force in all directions.

Accessories

The Indie has a long catalogue of accessories that you can install to customize the scooter to your taste / use. Some of them might just be a segment-first for the scooters.
1) Detachable floor cage: useful when carrying your pet to the vet's appointment, or loose cargo.
2) Panniers on both sides
3) Rear top box
4) Backrest
5) Grab handles
6) Front visor / protective screen
7) Mobile phone holder
8) Side step for the rear passenger
9) Center stand
10) Crash guard
11) Floor mat

The Indie stands out for its versatility, and for that versatility to come at an additional cost just dilutes the USP of this scooter. Do note that the pricing isn't exactly aggressive or below par compared to peers, every additional cost is not going to be viewed favourably.

River has promised to offer crash guard, center stand and pannier mounts as complimentary to the pre-launch customers.

Wheels & Tyres

In what is a big departure from other two-wheelers (ICE or EV), the Indie gets 14" wheels on both the front and rear. The front gets 110/70 section tyre, while the rear is shod with 120/70 section tyre. Both wheels get aluminium alloy rims and come with MRF Zapper tyres.

Ergonomics and Comfort

With a seat height of 770 mm and a very generous seat width and length, the Indie allows for a very comfortable riding posture. To make things better, there is ample space between the seat and steering column / front storage area. What you get is oodles of leg and knee room even for someone of my height (5'10").

Additionally, small innovations like foot pegs on the floorboard give you the flexibility to place your feet in normal riding position when hauling a lot of cargo, rather than having them dangle in the air / placed backwards on the rear foot pegs.

With a floorboard size of 20 inches (diagonal), your legs and feet don't have to struggle to find space for themselves, especially if carrying a shopping bag. The mirrors are slightly insufficient, as they taper off towards the bottom right.

Standard & Extended Warranty

River has indicated that the Indie will come with one comprehensive warranty that covers both, the scooter and battery. Pre-launch customers will get a standard warranty of 5 years / 50,000 km on their Indie.

For all subsequent / new customers, the standard warranty will be for 3 years, and an option to purchase the extended warranty for the 4th and 5th year. Prices for the extended warranty are yet to be announced.

[libranof1987]

Riding the River Indie electric scooter

Powering the River Indie is a mid-drive Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor (PMSM) that makes 9 BHP and 26 Nm. While the top speed is limited to 90 km/h, the scooter can accelerate from 0-40 km/h in 3.9 seconds. The Indie is rated with 18 degrees of gradability. Given the applications that it is designed for, River claims that the Indie is 1.5x more durable than the benchmark for the segment. They claim that the scooter is good to go for 1.5 lakh km.

Start riding the scooter and it's an absolute delight. The 9 BHP motor packs a lot of punch, and the riding modes are tuned very well to suit the purpose. The acceleration helps you keep up with the city traffic with ease. The throttle response is also pretty linear and you will immediately get used to riding on this scooter.

The Indie has three riding modes: Eco, Ride and Rush, and the range and top speed are limited for each mode.

Eco mode gets you ~ 120 km range with top speed limited at 50 km/h.
Ride mode gets you ~ 90 km with the top speed being limited to 70 km/h.
Rush mode is where all the fun is! The range in this mode is ~ 70 km with top speed limited to 90 km/h.

Now, here's how the range estimation works. The engineers mentioned that they have arrived at the range estimation based on the data collected through riding the bike in real-world conditions. The range for each mode is pre-set in the factory and is updated based on the weight (yes, weight) and usage. This is where it gets interesting. While discussing this in detail with the engineers, they mentioned that while the range will be updated based on actual usage, the displayed range may not truly be the actual range available.

For example, say you start riding the Indie in Rush mode while at full charge. The range displayed will be ~ 70 km. If you putter around very sedately at say 40 km/h without straining the motor, the range will not go up. Since the range is preset at 70 km for Rush mode, the displayed range won't go above that. When you switch to Eco mode, you will see the range go up.

With the Eco mode, you can make your way through dense bumper-to-bumper traffic allowing you a generous 120 km range, while being limited to 50 km/h. But with Ride and Rush, you can really let loose and have tremendous fun riding this scooter on the open roads. The bulk of the scooter, the power output tuning, and confident braking make riding this bike quite a pleasurable experience. And unlike some of its peers, you don't feel like you'll be blown away given how small they are built.

Battery Capacity, Charging

The Indie comes with a 4 kWh Li-ion battery. You get an 800W charger as standard with the Indie. This will get you about 80% charge in five hours. The design of the charging port is proprietary so unlike cars where you can charge your vehicle at any EV charging station, you'd need to carry your charger along if you're going long distance or moving around. While the Indie is fast-charging compatible, a Fast Charger is still in the works.

Suspension and Handling

The River Indie gets telescopic suspension with hydraulic dampeners at the front, and twin triple-rated springs with hydraulic dampeners. You have 14" wheels on both front and rear, and what this means is, that the front tyres send a noticeable amount of feedback to the handle. In contrast, the rear suspension is tuned to absorb bumps and potholes.

In terms of handling, the Indie is very easy to maneuver. It does not make its bulk of 140 kg kerb weight felt as you navigate, be it on open highways or tight city streets.

With a parking mode for both forward and backward movement, pulling in and out of tight parking spaces is a breeze.

Braking & Regeneration

The Indie gets disc brakes at both front and rear. The front gets a hydraulic triple-piston 240 mm disc, while the rear gets a hydraulic single-piston 200 mm disc. Braking is quite adequate; the brakes do their job without a fuss even under hard braking when doing decently high speeds (60-70 km/hr).

The braking system is complemented by adaptive regeneration which kicks in under three conditions:

1) Braking
2) Coasting (when you let go of the accelerator)
3) Slip off (when you let go of the accelerator only partially)

The intensity of regeneration is determined by several factors, one of them being the mode that you are riding in.

[libranof1987]

River Indie Electric Scooter Images

One thing's for sure, you won't mistake the River Indie for anything else on the road. The front is very distinctive:


As is the side profile, especially when you have the panniers / mounts installed:


Here's a look at the twin LED lamps in action, along with the LED indicators:


The rear gets LED tail lamps and indicators:


A front visor / protective screen is available as an accessory. You can see the mounting point above the headlamp:


A welcoming wide seat:


Good space for the pillion rider as well. Do note the mounting point for a rear top box or a backrest or grab handles which are available as an accessory:


Retractable footpegs for the pillion sit flush with the body when not in use:


Here's a look at the crash guard (not standard, available as an accessory):


Very useful foot pegs for the rider on the wide floorboard. Note that the floorboard gets mounts for a detachable floor cage accessory. This accessory can be useful when carrying your pet to the vet's appointment, or loose cargo:


12 litres of storage capacity for the front compartment:


There's a USB charging port inside this compartment, very thoughtful when you want to charge a device while on the go but not have it exposed. Pull the knob on the left to access the scooter's charging port:


The charging port cover (on the left of the front panel) opens up. The charging cable can be disconnected only if the key is inserted:


MID sticks out like a sore thumb. It could have been better integrated:


View from the mirrors is very restricted:


The stalk on the right has the button for hazard lights, the power switch and the ride mode selector. To start riding, press the brake and push the red button down:


Left stalk has the buttons for the headlight, indicators and horn:


You get a USB charging port on the right of the handlebar:


MID displays the time, odometer, trip meter, speed, charge status, power delivery, riding mode, range and time to charge. We were informed that these four buttons - P / S / A / R may be used for more information as development progresses:


The MID is fairly basic, the competition has much better and more capable displays. The speed call out especially, isn't very clear. Note the range in Eco mode where the top speed is limited to 50 km/h:


Range drops down in Ride mode where the top speed is limited to 70 km/h:


Top speed is capped at 90 km/h in Rush mode:


Parking mode is activated by long pressing the button "P" followed by "S". You can then toggle between forward and backward movement through the engine switch. Similarly, long-press "A" followed by "R" to reset trip A / B data:


Use the Red power switch (on the right stalk) to toggle between forward and backward movement of the Park mode:


There's space for a mobile phone holder (available as an accessory):


The River Indie rides on 14-inch aluminium alloy wheels with the front getting a 110/70-14 tyre:


The rear is shod with a 120/70-14 tyre. Note that the rear wheel also gets a disc brake:


The wheel / suspension assembly covers the wheel enough to not require a saree guard


These mounts on the sides are for panniers (available as an accessory). They're sold as an extra, so you can choose not to buy them for a cleaner look:


You have 43 litres of storage under the seat:


Even with a full-face helmet in place, you still have a good amount of storage:


A hook rated for 3 kg weight is placed at the front of the seat:


Nifty space on the underside of the seat for documents:


The River Indie comes in three colour options. Here's the scooter in Monsoon Blue shade:


This is the Summer Red paint option:


And lastly, the Spring Yellow paint:


Here's a picture from the launch event of a fully accessorised River Indie:


Disclaimer: River Mobility invited Team-BHP for the River Indie test-ride. They covered all the travel expenses for this riding event.

[Omkar]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[haldar_siliguri]

Finally a truly utilitiarian e-scooter that isn’t limited to 25kph. Waiting for River to give a positive response to my booking that was done way back when they had revealed it first. Your review basically seals the deal for this. Now the wait gets harder!

[sri_tesla]

Thanks for the excellent review. It's great to see another Indian startup nailing the most important aspects (range, performance, utility, ergonomics, etc....) of an electric scooter in the first iteration itself. I feel this is as impressive as the first Ather if not more.

River Indie Cons

• We expected more aggressive pricing, relative to the entrenched players. Furthermore, the pre-launch price tag of 1.25 lakhs will be increased soon.

This introductory price puts the Indie right in the same price band vis-à-vis its competitors with comparable range. Some of them include the Ola S1 Pro, Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube S and Vida V1 Pro. With the price expected to go up for new customers, it will likely take the Indie to the expensive end of the spectrum of scooters with a comparable range.

I have to disagree regarding the price. The Rs 1.25 lakhs is a very aggressive pricing when you actually compare the competition. Even if the price increases by Rs 15K, the Rs 1.4 lakh ex-showroom price is still very good. Here is the competition and their current prices and comparison to Indie at Rs 1.4 lakhs:

River Indie: Rs 1.4 lakhs (4 kWh, 9 KW motor, 120 km range),
Ather 450X: Rs 1.65 lakhs (3.7 kWh, 6.4 KW motor, 105 km range),
Ather 450S: Rs 1.3 lakhs (2.9 kWh, 5.4 kW motor, 90 km range),
Ola S1 Pro: Rs 1.48 lakhs (4 kWh, 11 KW motor, ~130 km range),
TVS iQube/S: Rs 1.4 or Rs 1.56 lakhs on the road (3.4 kWh, 4.4 kW motor, 100 km range),
Hero Vida: Rs 1.46 lakhs (3.94 kWh, 6 KW motor, 110 km range),
Bajaj Chetak: Rs 1.3 lakhs (3 kWh, 4.2 KW motor, 90 km range).

As you can see, even with the expected price increase, River Indie is very competitive and has a top-of-the-line range, battery capacity, and performance. It may lack some of the smart features, but for many people, range, performance, utility, and ergonomics are more important. Stunning sales numbers of iQube and lately Chetak are proof of that.

[Red Liner]

Wow this looks like the erstwhile Qualis of Toyota when it first launched. Zero tech 100% Utility. But if this becomes popular with the delivery folks will the same thing that almost killed off the innova with the retail customer segment happen here as well? Will people not want to be seen as someone at par with a delivery agent?

[rascalangel]

The sheer amount of thought that has gone into the design of this scooter is mind blowing. Every day I learn about a feature that was not so obvious before. If only this is reliable then it can be the Innova of e-scooters and price it accordingly. My only concern is its ground clearance. How was it during the tests? What about when a pillion is there?

[PreludeSH]

Looks good. The company did say it was designed for utility and may even sell in bulk to e-commerce companies. I wouldn't really need one with so much storage since we have many delivery companies and will never carry lot of luggage.

The MID is too basic. They need to have a optional LCD one with more functions.

One thing I hope doesn't happen is with so much plastics in boxy form, it shouldn't clatter as it ages.

[SKC-auto]

I test drove the Indie yesterday, liked it very much. It looked like over engineered, the scooter is tough and well built.

It is well priced at 1.25 lakhs, the OTR comes at 1.34 lakhs. According to River guys, this is a no gimmick scooter, no OTA, no speakers, no maps, no mobile lock and unlock.

I did not like the quality of plastic for the switches, when trying to switch between ride to eco mode the switch got jammed, I need to shake it a bit to move to eco.

Those who book the scooter before 15th will get launch price, looking at the way how the chassis and drivetrain is built it is a good buy even at 1.5 lakhs.

On our Suzuki access it is very difficult to be riding as a pillion, the rear suspension makes you tired very easily, the rear suspension and 14 inch wheels on Indie makes the ride comfortable on our bumpy roads.

The pickup in ride mode itself is very fast, top speed in ECO mode is 50kmph, top speed in Ride mode is 65kmph. The regen only works upto 20kmph, below that it just coasts.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by haldar_siliguri

Finally a truly utilitiarian e-scooter that isn’t limited to 25kph.

Originally Posted by rascalangel

The sheer amount of thought that has gone into the design of this scooter is mind blowing.

Indeed! It was my first thought as well. River has attempted to make a scooter that is more than just for doing point A -> B. The versatility that the Indie offers is truly commendable.

They way they've thought of small things is damn cool: eg. when you're coming back home from buying vegetables that take up the entire floorboard, where do you keep your feet. Invariably, you'll find people with their feet dangling in the air, or awkwardly placed on the rear foot-pegs. The Indie gets foot pegs on the floorboard!

Panniers are a terrific idea as well - you can actually look at the scooter as an option for nearby overnight trips. You don't have to stuff everything in a bag and carry it on the shoulders.

My only concern is its ground clearance. How was it during the tests? What about when a pillion is there?

Ground clearance is 160mm.

I didn't get the chance to test / ride with or as a pillion, but the Indie didn't have a problem going over normal / XL-speed breakers.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

But if this becomes popular with the delivery folks will the same thing that almost killed off the innova with the retail customer segment happen here as well? Will people not want to be seen as someone at par with a delivery agent?

Does it even matter in 2023? WagonR, Swift, Innova - these vehicles have been just as much a hit as personal vehicles as they have been with the taxi segment.

Also, at 1.5 lakhs a pop, a delivery agent might not exactly look at the Indie for the day job. That's besides the point though.

Originally Posted by sri_tesla

Thanks for the excellent review.

I have to disagree regarding the price. The Rs 1.25 lakhs is a very aggressive pricing when you actually compare the competition.

It may lack some of the smart features, but for many people, range, performance, utility, and ergonomics are more important.

Thanks!

You make a fair point. You've noticed, we've mentioned that the pricing is on par with peers, but could have been more aggressive. Not that it is over-priced.

Think of it as an average customer. You have several products in the EV market: Ather, Ola, Baja, Hero, TVS..... i.e. brands that you've heard of for several years now. They've sold thousands, if not tens of thousands, of scooters already and have an established sales and service network.

Then comes along a new company with a new product. The ex-showroom price is near about the same, and if you want to add the accessories - which you'd really want to, because they're actually that cool - it'll be extra. How much extra, we don't know yet. But let's assume 20-25k for the entire suite?

The question one would ask is - is this premium worth the cool features, especially since it brings along the risk of being an early adopter of a new brand?

Pricing and perception of value-for-money are ultimately subjective, and depend on a lot of factors that aren't science. River have hit it out of the park with the product, they could have been aggressive with the pricing to bring it home!

[pogo0120]

Originally Posted by SKC-auto

Those who book the scooter before 15th will get launch price, looking at the way how the chassis and drivetrain is built it is a good buy even at 1.5 lakhs.

Can you elaborate? Is this before September 15th? I am still waiting for test ride. I prebooked during launch.

[SKC-auto]

Originally Posted by pogo0120

Can you elaborate? Is this before September 15th? I am still waiting for test ride. I prebooked during launch.

Those who pre-order before 15th Sept can get it for 1.25 lakhs as informed to me by the River sales guys, not sure if they have any booking period(for full payment) to get the scooter at this price.

[Venky03]

Any info about the battery pack voltage?

Also did they explain why they chose the proprietary port instead of the two standard ones? This scooter, along with the Ather open-source port would have been a perfect electric 2W.