The choice of electric scooters in the Indian market is about to get ‘charged up’ with new launches lined up throughout this calendar year. Following the Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube, here are the top six upcoming electric scooters in India in 2021 with their expected (ex-showroom) prices and launch dates. Note that some of the launch dates are from the guidance received before the full impact of the COVID-19 was felt in India.
Click on the first link in the paragraphs to get expanded information on the model.
Suzuki Burgman Electric
The Suzuki Burgman Electric launch will mark the arrival of the first Suzuki electric scooter in India. It will be a premium product focusing as much on comfort as on eco-friendliness. The low-riding electric maxi-scooter will compete with the Ather 450X and Bajaj Chetak.
Spy shots and clips since late last year reveal that Suzuki is developing a pure electric variant of the Burgman Street in India. The electric variant would be instantly recognisable from its exclusive white-blue dual-tone colour scheme. The electric variant has dual hydraulic shock absorbers, which should offer a comfy ride, a full wheel cover for added protection and repositioned reflector strip.
The Suzuki Burgman Electric could have a 3-4 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack and a 4-6 kW output motor. Expect it to return a range of around 80 km in the real world and come at a premium price of INR 1.2 lakh (ex-showroom).
Electric Scooter name | Expected Launch Date | Expected Price |
Suzuki Burgman electric | H2 2021 | Rs 1.2 lakh |
EeVe Forseti
The selling point of the EeVe Forseti electric scooter is its retro-modern design. The Forseti gets a ‘classic’ round LED headlamp, LED taillight, keyless entry, GPS, geo-fencing, anti-theft mechanism, and USB charging port. The Forseti will offer a range of not less than 90 km/charge and the top speed is estimated to be around 100 km/h. The fast-charging option is yet to be finalized. EeVe had confirmed at Auto Expo 2020 that the Forseti will be launched in April or May 2020, but with the Coronavirus pandemic throwing a spanner in the works, the revised launch date for the high-speed scooter is April 2021.
Electric Scooter name | Expected Launch Date | Expected Price |
EeVe Forseti | April 2021 | Rs 80,000 |
Ola Electric Scooter
The Ola Electric scooter would be the Indian version of the Etergo AppScooter when it lands on the market later this year. The electric scooter from the Dutch company Etergo BV (acquired by Ola Electric in May 2020) has up to 1.16 kWh battery pack, each offering an 80 km range. Its electric motor generates 6 kW of power and 50 Nm of torque. A 0-45 km/h sprint takes 3.9 seconds.
The Etergo AppScooter’s seat height is 800 mm, and it offers a generous, 50 litres of storage capacity. While the international version features an Android-based 7-inch full-colour instrument console with smartphone pairing (iOS and Android), OTA updates, and sat-nav, the Indian version will get an adapted version of the ‘Ola Play’ software platform. Ola Electric plans to manufacture the Ola electric scooter at the world’s largest scooter plant, which it is constructing in Tamil Nadu. The Ola Electric factory will have an annual production capacity of 20 lakh units.
Electric Scooter name | Launch Date | Price (ex-showroom Bangalore) |
Ola Electric Scooter | Late 2021 | TBA |
Okinawa Cruiser
The Okinawa Cruiser maxi-scooter was showcased at the Auto Expo 2020 and is to be released in the first half of 2021. The Cruiser is powered by a 4 kWh detachable Lithium-ion battery that offers a range of 120 km per charge and the battery can be fully charged in two to three hours. With a top speed of 100 km/h, the Cruiser will be among the fastest e-scooters in the country. It packs features like LED headlight & taillight, semi-digital instrument console, keyless start, anti-theft alarm, aluminium alloy wheels, USB charging outlet, and reverse assistance. There’s also a mobile app with a ‘Find my scooter’ function to locate the scooter in a crowded parking lot.
Electric Scooter name | Confirmed Launch Date | Expected Price |
Okinawa Cruiser | By June 2021 | Rs 1 lakh |
Hero Electric AE-29
Showcased at Auto Expo 2020, the Hero Electric AE-29 (the name will be different when it comes to the market) is a high-speed electric scooter from the largest electric two-wheeler brand in the country. The AE-29 is powered by a 1 kW motor and 3.5 kWh Li-ion battery. This Hero Electric scooter has a top speed of 55 km/h and can be fully charged in four hours. Hero Electric has loaded the AE-29 with features like a digital instrument cluster, Bluetooth connectivity, walk assist, anti-theft smart lock, reverse facility, mobile charger, and mobile app support.
Electric Scooter name | Expected Launch Date | Expected Price |
Hero Electric AE-29 | Late 2021 | Rs 80,000 to 1 lakh |
Hero eMaestro
Dr. Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Hero MotoCorp, confirmed at Hero World 2020 that a Hero electric scooter called Hero eMaestro is in the pipeline, carandbike.com reported last year. This new electric scooter will be a derivative of the Hero Maestro Edge, and it is likely to go on sale this year.
The Hero eMaestro should be a premium model that offers a range of above 80 km in the real world and powerful enough to offer performance on the levels of 110-125 cc petrol scooters. Expect the ex-showroom price to be about INR 1 lakh.
Electric Scooter name | Expected Launch Date | Expected Price |
Hero eMaestro | H2 2021 | Rs 1-1.1 lakh |
Electric scooters with retail expansion plans
Ather 450X & Ather 450 Plus
Though it was not the first brand to launch an electric scooter, Ather Energy provided a big push to the Indian electric scooter ecosystem with its locally developed platform, exciting features, and sharp looks. One of the best electric scooter models in India, Ather’s in-house developed 450 was the first step by an Indian EV company to create excitement in this segment, and last year they launched the 450X and 450 Plus models.
The Ather 450X received performance and feature upgrades over the Ather 450, but it also costs considerably higher. A bigger battery (2.9 kWh) and a more capable motor (6 kW) with a peak torque of 26 Nm (up from 20 Nm) allow the 450X to accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h in just 6.5 seconds. The Ather 450X is the quickest scooter in India.
The Ather 450 Plus is essentially a specced-down 450X that is more accessible. It looks the same as the top-end model but employs a smaller, 2.7 kWh battery pack (that charges slower) and a low-spec motor generating 5.4 kW and 22 Nm. It takes 3.9 seconds to accelerate from 0-40 km/h, and it can go up to 70 km (True Range)/100 km (Indian Driving Cycle) on a full charge.
The Ather 450 Plus misses out on Bluetooth connectivity, but it does have a 7-inch touchscreen dashboard with 4G connectivity. The lack of Bluetooth connectivity means the inability to access phone music and getting phone call notifications on the dashboard. Also excluded in the Plus model is the support for the smartphone app-based Find your Scooter feature and the official TPMS and Smart Helmet Ather accessories.
Ather Energy plans to expand the availability of the Ather 450X and Ather 450 Plus to 27 locations by the end of this year.
Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Kochi, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Coimbatore, Kozhikode, Mysore, Hubli, Jaipur, Indore, Panaji, Nasik, Surat, Noida, Guwahati, Nagpur, Lucknow, Siliguri, Chandigarh, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, and Visakhapatnam are the cities where the Ather 450X and Ather 450 Plus will be on sale by December 2021. Deliveries in some of these cities have already begun, which Ather Energy shared in an update recently.
The Ather Plus and Ather 450X cost INR 1,68,990* and INR 1,88,000* respectively. However, with the nationally available FAME-II subsidy, their prices reduce by INR 29,000 to INR 1,39,990* and INR 1,59,000* respectively.
*Applicable in Bengaluru, excludes insurance, road tax, and registration charges
Bajaj Chetak
Bajaj Auto’s Chetak electric scooter would go to more locations this year. The company may sort out its supply chain issues in the coming months and ramp up production, which would allow it to expand the retail presence of the reborn Chetak brand and its first product, the retro-style electric scooter.
Bajaj Auto plans to launch the Chetak electric scooter in 30 new locations by March 2022, Rakesh Sharma, the company’s Executive Director, said last month. Much of that expansion should happen this calendar year. Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Vizag, Chennai, and Goa are the first candidates for new locations. A new factory is coming up in Chakan in 2023, and it should allow a nationwide expansion of the Chetak.
The Chetak electric scooter has a 4 kW/16 Nm motor and a 3 kWh Lithium-ion battery pack. It can go up to 95 km on a full charge. Prices start at INR 1 lakh (ex-showroom Pune).