Simple Energy launches electric scooter Simple ONE

SHOOLAGIRI:  Simple Energy, India's electric vehicle and clean energy start-up, which is looking at investing over US$ 100 million in its electric car business, on Tuesday introduced its maiden electric scooter called the Simple One at Rs 1.45 lakh without the charger, and Rs 1.58 lakh with a 750W charger at the Bangalore showroom.

The Bangalore-based company is also planning to enter into the electric cars business as it consolidates its two-wheeler business.

The Simple One scooter is more expensive than its rivals such as the Ola S1 Pro, Ather 450X, TVS iQube S, Bajaj Chetak and Vida V1 Pro.

While deliveries will begin on June 6, in Bengaluru, the company plans to set up 150 to 180 dealerships across India over the next few months, Shreshth Mishra, Co-Founder and CFO at Simple Energy told Financial Chronicle.

“We have invested Rs 100 to Rs 110 crore in our factory at Shoolagiri, Tamil Nadu, and R&D Centre in Bangalore with 350 engineers,” Mishra said. The facility has an installed capacity to produce about 5 lakh units, he said.

Mishra said the company has raised a total of Rs 320 crore from investors till date. “We are also looking at getting into the electric cars business with an additional investment of over $100 million,” he said.

The Simple One has a larger battery than any other Indian electric scooter on sale. Its 5kWh lithium-ion battery is rated for a claimed IDC range of 212km (with 6 per cent SOC left). This is split into two packs, one fixed and one removable. This battery powers a permanent magnet motor that’s rated for a claimed 8.5kW of peak power (4.5kW continuous) and 72Nm of torque.

This helps the Simple One manage the sprint from 0 to 40kph in 2.77 seconds and onward to a top speed of 105kph, the company claimed.

Simple Energy also claimed that the battery can be charged from 0 to 80 per cent in 5 hours 54 minutes, using the portable and home chargers.

With a fast charger, the scooter can be charged at the rate of 1.5km/min up to 80 per cent, although the fast-charging network is still being set up.

The Simple One has four riding modes – Eco, Ride, Dash and Sonic. It gets all-LED lighting and a boot light. Boot capacity at 30 litres, while not segment-leading, is on the larger end of the spectrum.