Living with an electric scooter
The pros and cons of owning one
Electric scooters have come a long way from being cheaply made with unpredictable performance, to the reliable tools of today. That being said, India made considerable improvements to the development of EVs with the potential to revolutionize. One of the players could be EeVe, from Bhubaneswar-based startup Omjay EV, which is making a name for itself with its affordable range of electric two-wheelers. We’ve been living with their Made-in-India electric scooter for the past few months, and gathered some interesting findings about it.
The Ahava takes a European approach with its design with minimum use of flashiness on display but enough sparks to turn a few heads for a second glance. The front is slim and sharp with an edgy design which makes it look futuristic complete with LED DRLs and integrated turn indicators. The LED headlight housed in the front apron offers decent throw, while the EeVe badge finds place on the front fascia. The rear too has a neat layout, with a thick grab rail for a firm hold. The angular bodywork with smooth flowing lines doesn’t look overdone, which is quite refreshing in this segment. The ‘Power 09’ decals,
alloys, and side stand don’t come out as low-cost.
Despite being similarly sized to a conventional scooter, the ergonomics seem lacking, especially with a short, narrow floorboard, and a seat that manages to accommodate only a single adult comfortably, despite its 130kg payload. The small recess instead of dedicated foot pegs is actually comfortable and neatly done. The under-seat storage is occupied by the charging cable, and lacks space for anything else. The only functional space is behind the front apron but that too only for essentials like a mobile, wallet, and perhaps a water bottle. The hook could carry a few bags though. The instrument panel is an all-digital affair showcasing all the basic information, such as speed, battery charge, odometer, and trip meter, and is readable even in bright sun.
The Ahava comes powered by a 230W hub-mounted electric motor, paired with a 60V, 27Ah lead-acid battery pack that is good enough for 65-70km range on a single charge, which takes about 7-8 hours to fully charge. Coming to the performance part, the scooter offers a good initial response off the line as the power is transmitted almost immediately at the twist of the throttle. However, post the initial response there isn’t much to rave about. The power delivery is divided into three parts which can be toggled by a red ‘M’ switch on the left handlebar with three power modes each offering different speeds. Level 1 and 2 offer top speed between 20 to 35kmph and are most preferred for regular city jaunts. For longer stretches, level 3 takes the speed a tad higher to 45kmph which is the most this scooter has to offer. A ‘Park’ mode doubles up as a safety feature and comes up every time the scooter is switched on. A quick flick gets the scooter ready to ride.
EeVe provides a standard charging cable along with the scooter that can be plugged into any standard three-pin plug. Being a low-budget model, it only comes with a single-charge method by the means of plugging the cable directly to the socket positioned below the seat. Unfortunately, the battery isn’t removable, so one needs a socket in the park
YOU DON’T WANT TO BE STUCK IN A SITUATION WITH LOW CHARGE AND NO PLACE TO JUICE IT UP SINCE THERE’S NO OPTION TO FAST CHARGE
ing area or an extension cord to wherever the scooter is parked. Talking of home charging, the Ahava consumes about 5kWh or five units of electricity to charge the scooter to 100 per cent, this translates to about Rs 35 for a full charge. The Ahava is ideal for regular city jaunts but it is necessary to keep a close eye on the charge. You don’t want to be stuck in a situation with a low charge and no place to juice it up since there’s no option to fast charge.
Like many low-cost EVs, the Ahava has a sharp initial response when you accelerate at low speeds, especially when you’ve just come off the brakes. On the go, it chugs along, constantly maintaining speed. The floorboard offers ample ground clearance, but it hinders the ride position. Nevertheless, it can easily filter through almost any gap we dared to push it in and can be flicked quite easily. The suspension is handled by a telescopic fork at the front and twin shock absorbers at the rear but is set up slightly on the firmer side. While the setup does manage to absorb small bumps and irregularities with ease, larger potholes are often felt. This is especially noticeable when riding the electric scooter around town for long durations. The riding position is relaxed and comfortable at least for the rider. It’s decent until you hit a pothole or bump at a higher speed, where it thuds in a fairly harsh manner. The brakes, on the other hand, are quite powerful. The Ahava is equipped with a disc brake setup at both ends with CBS, but the rear will still lock under a hard pull. The 10-inch tubeless tyres offer adequate grip.
Electric vehicles currently demand a high initial amount, however, with running costs close to nothing, it is very easy to recover the additional expense. The EeVe Ahava is no different, with a starting price of Rs 55,900 (ex-showroom, India) the electric scooter is a rather good purchase.
Without the need to constantly fill petrol, the electric scooter immediately brings down the expenditure. This combined with the low maintenance cost at least for the first three years; customers do end up recovering their additional purchase cost within the first year itself.