The Top 5: Electric Two Wheelers Under ₹1,25,000

The age of EVs is here and talking about the Indian transition to this green mobility trend is incomplete without bringing into the picture substitutes for two ICE two-wheelers, one of the most important types of vehicles on Indian roads. However, affordability is important if electric two-wheelers (e2w) have to replace conventional options.

Until December 2022, about 6.63 Lakh electric two-wheelers have received incentives under FAME India Scheme Phase-II, about fourfold the sales recorded in the previous year. According to some reports, the electric two-wheeler market has achieved a penetration of about 4 per cent in the calendar year 2022 (CY22).

At the helm of electric transition for the two-wheelers segment were e2w manufacturers Ola Electric (1,09,000+ units sold), Okinawa (1,01,000+), Hero Electric (1,00,000+), and Ampere EV (79,000+).

However, some of the affordable electric-two wheelers helped electric mobility penetrate all sections of Indian consumers. We look at the top 5 electric two-wheelers under ₹1,25,000.

#1 TVS iQube S

Price: Around ₹1,05,000

Hosur-based TVS Motor Co. is currently selling its iQube range of e-scooters, which registered its highest-ever monthly sales figures of 9,317 in December 2022, and was the second most sold e2w in the retail sales. TVS iQube S is arguably the company’s best e2w model and comes with a range of around 100 km on a single charge in economy mode.

The scooter achieves a top speed of around 78 km/hr and goes 0-40 kmph in just about 4.2 seconds. iQube S takes about 4.5 hours for a full charge. It comes with an EV powertrain rated at 3kW and a 3.04 kWh Li-ion battery.

It also comes with a 17.78 cm TFT touchscreen, joystick-enabled navigation, incoming call alerts, documents upload, smart helmet connectivity, and other cool features. All these for just around ₹1,05,000, after the FAME II subsidy.

#2 Ola S1

Price: Around ₹1,05,000

Ola electric sold the most units of electric two-wheelers in the country in 2022 and Ola S1 remained the reason for the achievement. The electric e2w maker will count on its S1 series to continue the streak in 2023.

S1 can hit up to a top speed of 95 km/hr and has three modes – Eco, Normal, and Sports. It boasts an impressive acceleration that allows the scooter to achieve 0-40 kmph in just 3.8 sec. Ola S1 has a 141 km ARAI-certified range, while the firm claims that its true range is around 128 km in its eco mode and 102 km in normal mode, on a single charge.

The e2w comes with a 5.5kW rated motor power and has an 8.5kW of peak motor power. It comes with a battery capacity of 3kWh and takes around 5 hours to charge. Akin to our number 1, the Ola S1 comes at price of around ₹1,05,000.

#3 Hero Electric Optima CX (Dual Battery)

Price: Around ₹85,000

The company has made its name in the electric two-wheeler segment, offering a range of affordable EVs under ₹1 lakh. The most reliable of its e2w options is arguably the Optima CX Dual Battery variant.

Its dual battery offers an excellent certified range of 140 km per charge cycle. Moreover, the battery is detachable and, thus, gives the option to charge the battery when at home — without needing a mobile charging station. The total time taken to fully charge is 4-5 hours.

Its other attributes include a maximum attainable speed of 45 kmph – ideal for city commutes. The electric ride also comes with a digital instrument cluster and a USB port for charging a mobile device. However, Optima CX lacks cruise control. It comes at an attractive price of just ₹85,000.

#4 Bounce Infinity E1

Price: ₹70,499 (with battery)

Bounce Infinity E1 has an interesting sale model, where even if you do not pay the full price, you can get the scooter at a much more affordable price — paired with the company’s Battery-as-a-service aka BAAS plans. The plans come with a monthly subscription cost starting at Rs 846 (for Bangalore) and a swappable battery option, which cost Rs 35 per swap. This brings the effective Bounce Infinity E1 price per KM down to Rs 0.65.

The Bounce Infinity E1 has a single-charge range of up to 85km and achieves a 65kmph top speed. The vehicle comes with three driving modes: Drag, Eco, and Power. The electric scooter also gets a 2kWhr 48V battery pack that is IP 67 rated and can be swapped out and charged anywhere. The bike comes at an ex-showroom of ₹70,499 with battery, while the price goes down further for the rent battery option and the vehicle comes for just ₹47,499.

#5 Ampere Magnus EX

Price: ₹81,900 onwards

Ampere is an electric vehicle brand owned by an automobile engineering firm Greaves Cotton. Alongside its electric vehicles, Ampere is also steadily building a battery-swapping network to cater to its riders across India. The omnipresent swapping points make the Magnus EX a largely convenient electric scooter.

The electric two-wheeler achieves a top speed of about 50 kmph and goes from 0-40 in around 10 seconds. It comes with a detachable 60V, 38.25AH Advanced Lithium Battery, that takes 6-7 hours to fully charge. Further, the vehicle can go around 80-100 km on a single charge, even as it comes with an ARAI-rated riding range of 121 km. Its comfy design and large legroom make it a vehicle for the everyday commute.

Ampere Magnus rounds up our top 5 e2w under ₹1,25,000 ceiling and comes at an affordable price of ₹81,900 onwards.