Simple Energy electric scooter expected in May with 200+ km range

Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler company Simple Energy plans to launch its first electric scooter, called ‘Simple Energy Mark 2’, in May this year. The company will sell the new electric scooter in Bengaluru and Delhi initially, and later in Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

In other updates, Simple Energy has received an undisclosed investment from Vel Kanniappan, Vice President – Global Business & Finance Operations, UiPath, and four other investors. The company plans to raise more funds in the coming months, about $8-10 million, in Q2 2021.

The Simple Energy Mark 2 uses a 4.2 kWh battery pack and a motor that generates 9.4 hp and 72 Nm of torque. Apart from Eco, it can be operated in Normal and Sports ride modes. The Eco mode limits the top speed to 35-40 km/h, while in the Sports mode, a top speed of 103 km/h can be achieved, with 0-50 km/h achieved in 3.6 seconds. The Simple Energy Mark 2 has a company-claimed range of 260 km (Eco)/220 km (Normal)/180 km (Sport).

In November last year, a Simple Energy Mark 1 prototype achieved a range of more than 230 km in ARAI testing. That’s more than double the range of the Bajaj Chetak (95+ km) and the Ather 450X (116 km).

Simple Energy said that the prototype ARAI tested in Pune featured a 4 kWh battery, which is bigger than the battery pack of the Ather 450X (2.61 kWh), the TVS iQube (2.25 kWh) and Bajaj Auto’s Chetak (2.89 kWh). This battery pack had been developed in-house, and it allowed the electric scooter to reach 230 km in Eco ride mode. The scooter that achieved this feat is not a production vehicle so we would have to wait to learn what the final version is capable of.

Commenting on the development, Suhas Rajkumar, Founder, Simple Energy, said that over 1,000 customers have shown interest in pre-booking the Simple Energy Mark 2 while it’s still under development.

There exists a humongous gap between what the consumers want and what they receive. In the past, there was no electric two-wheeler Indian brand addressing the pain points of long-range, fast charging, value for money electric scooters. We identified these pain points and have been relentlessly working towards it.

Suhas Rajkumar, Founder, Simple Energy

Simple Energy, which is working to raise funds to put its vehicle into production, plans to gradually increase its retail presence in the country. It would have four experience centres, two of which would be located in smaller cities. We are yet to get clarity on the production plans and pricing of the electric scooter.

Source 1: Simple Energy
Source 2: financialexpress.com