[nidhikapoor]

Hi Guys,

Thinking of a reasonably priced electric scooter to do local shopping etc. Down to these two.

Which would you guys suggest? Or any other in a similar price bracket? Also all ads say that some subsidy is only till 28th July so I need to buy soon. Is this true?

Edit: Added iQube to my list

[bijims]

Originally Posted by nidhikapoor

Hi Guys,

Thinking of a reasonably priced electric scooter to do local shopping etc. Down to these two.

Which would you guys suggest? Or any other in a similar price bracket?

The OLA S1 X+ (3kWh) costs just Rs.84,999 ex-showroom while the Ather Rizta (S 2.9 kWh) costs Rs.1,09,999 ex-showroom with the Pro-Pack costing an additional Rs.13,000. So the Rizta is in no way in a similar price bracket to the S1 X+, The ones that are within a closer proximity to the S1 X+ are the Bajaj Chetak 2901 and the TVS iQube 2.2 kWh which cost under 1 lakh ex-showroom. For local shopping and requirements, you could prefer a scooter with large under-seat storage and for those the Rizta (34 liters), any of the Ola models (34 liters), and the iQube (32 liters) are good options.


However Considering you are in Bangalore, I would wholeheartedly suggest the River Indie, it will cost you more, but you are getting the most practical scooter out there with enough power, range, battery (4 kWh), and loads of storage including the 43 liters under seat storage, 12-liter lockable front glovebox, and even more storage options should you need it. It's large, wide, and lives up to the tagline of the SUV of scooters.

As regards subsidy, the EMPS subsidy has been extended by a couple of months more, so no need to worry, after which the FAME-III will be introduced.

[deep_bang]

On a lighter note:

Ather --> Like Toyota (Expensive but bullet proof)
Ola --> like Tata (good features but bad service)
ICube --> Like Hyundai (Jack of all)
Bajaj --> Maruti (Great network but latest products are just so so)

No offence to anyone who owns the above branded cars. The above is just a light hearted take ...

[nidhikapoor]

Originally Posted by bijims

The OLA S1 X+ (3kWh) costs just Rs.84,999 ex-showroom while the Ather Rizta (S 2.9 kWh) costs Rs.1,09,999 ex-showroom with the Pro-Pack costing an additional Rs.13,000. So the Rizta is in no way in a similar price bracket to the S1 X+, The ones that are within a closer proximity to the S1 X+ are the Bajaj Chetak 2901 and the TVS iQube 2.2 kWh which cost under 1 lakh ex-showroom. For local shopping and requirements, you could prefer a scooter with large under-seat storage and for those the Rizta (34 liters), any of the Ola models (34 liters), and the iQube (32 liters) are good options.


However Considering you are in Bangalore, I would wholeheartedly suggest the River Indie, it will cost you more, but you are getting the most practical scooter out there with enough power, range, battery (4 kWh), and loads of storage including the 43 liters under seat storage, 12-liter lockable front glovebox, and even more storage options should you need it. It's large, wide, and lives up to the tagline of the SUV of scooters.

As regards subsidy, the EMPS subsidy has been extended by a couple of months more, so no need to worry, after which the FAME-III will be introduced.

Never heard of river indie. Reliable? Long term player? Price?

[bijims]

Originally Posted by nidhikapoor

Never heard of river indie. Reliable? Long term player? Price?

Here is the official Team-BHP Review: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motor...er-review.html (River Indie electric scooter Review)

Here is their official website where you can book a test ride, book a scooter, and get to know them: https://www.rideriver.com/

They have been in the market for just around a year, but feedback has been positive, the scooter looks the part, my cousin owns one and he is absolutely satisfied with it, I booked this one for him and it has been a great experience so far.

The company is in it for the long term and is backed by reputed players such as Toyota Ventures, Yamaha, Al-Futtaim Group, Maniv Mobility, Lowercarbon Capital, and many more.

The scooter is priced at Rs.1,38,000 ex-showroom.

[souravdas808]

Originally Posted by nidhikapoor

Hi Guys,

Thinking of a reasonably priced electric scooter to do local shopping etc. Down to these two.

Which would you guys suggest? Or any other in a similar price bracket? Also all ads say that some subsidy is only till 28th July so I need to buy soon. Is this true?

Edit: Added iQube to my list

There is a huge price difference between S1X+ and Rizta. You can compare Rizta with S1Pro with similar price bracket.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by nidhikapoor

Never heard of river indie. Reliable? Long term player? Price?

Many people in my locality have bought River recently. It stands out in the crowd. Most bought for their college going girls and boys. It is a practical ev. Don't have to charge every day. Comes in bright colours and pannier mounts.

[Castro Gunner]

Which would you guys suggest? Or any other in a similar price bracket? Also all ads say that some subsidy is only till 28th July so I need to buy soon. Is this true?

Edit: Added iQube to my list[/quote]

I'm in the same dilemma, but booked vida v1 plus in flipkart for 1L on road.
Niggles experienced by owners are okayish for me.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by Castro Gunner

Which would you guys suggest? Or any other in a similar price bracket? Also all ads say that some subsidy is only till 28th July so I need to buy soon. Is this true?

Edit: Added iQube to my list

I'm in the same dilemma, but booked vida v1 plus in flipkart for 1L on road.
Niggles experienced by owners are okayish for me.[/quote]

The Vida V1 Plus and Vida V1 Pro are great value-for-money options wherein the V1 Plus with dual 1.72 kWh removable batteries (total 3.44 kWh) is available at under 1 lakh OTR and the V1 Pro with dual 1.97 kWh removable batteries (total 3.94 kWh) is available at around 1.15 lakh OTR. The scooters offer a 26-litre under-seat storage, and a modular design and are available at select Hero dealerships authorised to sell the Vida brand as well.

The charging port is the same as Ather's and both Ather and Vida fast chargers can be used interchangeably. The biggest advantage of Vida is its portable batteries which you can take home to charge.

However Vida unlike Ather is notorious for its poor seat design wherein water seeps into the underseat storage during rains or washing, and the Vida App hardly works well. Moreover, even though it has a touchscreen, its functionality is limited as compared to those of Ather and Ola.

However, Overall considering the price paid, the Vida is a worthy contender in the segment and remains among the top 5 most sold electric two-wheelers.

[jaganm]

As a scooter it’s not even close. Ola >>>>Ather. I’ve owned Ather for 5 years now and Ola for 6 months. In features, range, performance, comfort, refinement, i find the Ola superior.

However, I respect Ather as a company, the management is decent and earnest whereas Ola founder, the less said the better. I’ve had fantastic experience whenever I have had to interact with Ather (though I hear it has deteriorated) whereas Ola experience has been nightmarish (the company just doesn’t care though people on the ground are sincere, they are overwhelmed).

My Ather even after 5 years and 22k km still feels solid. I don’t have any such expectations from the Ola , though it still looks and feels like new 6 months and 3k km later.

[salluks]

I have an Iqube and would definitely buy again with my eyes closed. I wouldn't touch an OLA with a 10ft pole though, i simply do not trust the brand and they have done nothing to change it.

[nidhikapoor]

Originally Posted by salluks

I have an Iqube and would definitely buy again with my eyes closed. I wouldn't touch an OLA with a 10ft pole though, i simply do not trust the brand and they have done nothing to change it.

Why the lack of trust of Ola? And the iqube - what would it cost roughly?

Also, which battery one do you have and what is your real world range? Appreciate the help.

Originally Posted by jaganm

As a scooter it’s not even close. Ola >>>>Ather. I’ve owned Ather for 5 years now and Ola for 6 months. In features, range, performance, comfort, refinement, i find the Ola superior.

However, I respect Ather as a company, the management is decent and earnest whereas Ola founder, the less said the better. I’ve had fantastic experience whenever I have had to interact with Ather (though I hear it has deteriorated) whereas Ola experience has been nightmarish (the company just doesn’t care though people on the ground are sincere, they are overwhelmed).

My Ather even after 5 years and 22k km still feels solid. I don’t have any such expectations from the Ola , though it still looks and feels like new 6 months and 3k km later.

In what way do you prefer the Ola, and why do you dislike the founder? the second is just curiosity. What size battery do you have in your Ola and what is your real world range?

[bijims]

As regards Brand Comparison, Ola is the current best-seller, having over 40% to 50% market share, followed by TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak, Ather, and Hero Vida respectively.

Ola has been notorious for providing products with poor QC, mediocre build quality, and software glitches, the first generation even had the front shocks breaking leading to a massive replacement drive where the front single-sided mono-shock suspension was replaced for customers owing to a massive customer outrage. The service experience at OLA overall has been poor for the most part in most cities and you would have to wait for weeks to get repairs done.

However despite this Ola sells the most owing to the Value for Money they offer, the base spec 2kWh Ola S1 X sells at just Rs.74,999 while the 3kWh sells at Rs 85,999, the 4kWh at Rs.99,999 and the S1 X+ (3kWh) at Rs.84,999. The S1 Air (3kWh) sells at Rs.1,01,499 and the top of the line S1 Pro Gen 2 (4kWh) sells at Rs.1,28,999. All prices are ex-showroom, We have three Olas in our family, an S1 Pro Gen 1 which was always in the workshop, an S1 Pro Gen 2 (working fine and Ola fixed the panel gaps too after my purchase, hopefully, no issue crops up) and an S1 X 4kWh (a couple of issues at first but all have been fixed and hopefully nothing else crops up). As regards range, the 2kWh will provide you a real-world range of 65 to 75 km, 3 kWh around 100 to 125 km, and the 4kWh around 140 to 150 km, you could get more depending on your driving style, weight, etc, I get over 180 km on my S1 Pro Gen 2 while my brother gets just over 165 km on his S1 X 4kWh.

Anyone who bought the first gen Olas would tell you never to go near them and We would have too but the current generation is alright, albeit the service needs drastic improvement, and build quality remains mediocre, however, its the most practical and feature-loaded scooter out there and a true all-rounder and it undercuts all its rivals while being so, this is why Ola sells.

We have a couple of iQubes in our extended family, the iQube range starts with the 2.2 kWh model starts at Rs.94,999 (Rs.1,07,299 ex-showroom minus the Rs.12,300 cashback), it gets a 75 km real-world range, the iQube 3.4 kWh costs Rs.1,31,628 (Rs.1,36,628 ex-showroom minus the Rs.5,000 cashback), it gets a real-world range of over 105 km, then there is the iQube S 3.4kWh, iQube ST 3.4kWh, iQube ST 5.1kWh Which offers more features over the regular iQube, with the 5.1 kWh variant having a real-world range of over 150 km.

We have the iQube S and ST in our family and they have been niggle free with no issues whatsoever, the scooter feels just like a normal scooter and has most of the features you need, both are the 3.4 kWh variants and they will surely give you over 105 km of range.

We also have a Chetak Premium, Ather 450 X 3.7 kWh, and Hero Vida V1 Pro owners in our family, would gladly provide insights on them as well should you be interested.

[VWAllstar]

I evaluated all three and Bajaj Chetak, finally booked Ather Rizta and expecting delivery on 30th July.

Ola - I have a close cousin who owns an Ola S1 Pro and in his 31K KMs, there were quite a lot of issues. As I type, his Ola is in the workshop where the technicians haven't touched it since last 2 days. It is actually a classic case of being a mass market seller but not able to manage the service of the volumes sold.

Ather Rizta - Excellent all rounder but strictly a commuter. Only con is the price. Introductory pricing itself is expensive so expect this to be sold at a premium in the coming months. Most reviewers have spoken very highly of Rizta on how thoughtfully it has been made. Again, it is strictly a family scooter which you can own for long. No real life reviews so let's hope all these preliminary evaluations hold true for a long time.

Bajaj Chetak - I rejected it due to the weight. I have booked the Ather Rizta for my Father who is touching 70. Chetak is heavy and apparently the tyres are not able to take the weight very well. There have been cases of the scooter slipping.

I would strongly suggest to increase budget and go for a Rizta Z even if it is 2.9 kWh.

[bijims]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

I evaluated all three and Bajaj Chetak, finally booked Ather Rizta and expecting delivery on 30th July.

Ola - I have a close cousin who owns an Ola S1 Pro and in his 31K KMs, there were quite a lot of issues. As I type, his Ola is in the workshop where the technicians haven't touched it since last 2 days. It is actually a classic case of being a mass market seller but not able to manage the service of the volumes sold.

Ather Rizta - Excellent all rounder but strictly a commuter. Only con is the price. Introductory pricing itself is expensive so expect this to be sold at a premium in the coming months. Most reviewers have spoken very highly of Rizta on how thoughtfully it has been made. Again, it is strictly a family scooter which you can own for long. No real life reviews so let's hope all these preliminary evaluations hold true for a long time.

Bajaj Chetak - I rejected it due to the weight. I have booked the Ather Rizta for my Father who is touching 70. Chetak is heavy and apparently the tyres are not able to take the weight very well. There have been cases of the scooter slipping.

I would strongly suggest to increase budget and go for a Rizta Z even if it is 2.9 kWh.

Good choice, considering it's for your father, among the e-scooters available the Rizta is definitely the more reliable (assuming from Ather's history), spacious (seat length, width and under-seat storage) and feature-loaded. It would make a great scooter for those who are not on a budget.