Indian EV startup Simple Energy's Mark 1 prototype achieves ARAI-approved 230+ km range

Aditya Chatterjee Published: November 20, 2020, 01:42 PM IST

Bangalore based EV startup Simple Energy that has been preparing their first electric scooter for a 2021 launch, has recently achieved an ARAI approved range of more than 230km from their Mark 1 prototype with 4-kilowatt hour battery pack that has been developed in-house by Simple Energy. The 230+ kilometres achieved by this prototype was ridden in the eco mode, mentions Simple Energy. For reference, the Chetak's claimed maximum riding range is 95km while that of the iQube is 75km. The Ather 450X, on the other hand, promises an 85km riding range.

This image is of the Mark 2 concept. The production-spec will go through changes before reaching dealerships next year

The company mentions that the learnings from the Mark 1 prototype that has achieved the above-mentioned riding range will be used in the production-spec Mark 2 that will be launched next year. The Mark 2 will be offered with a 4.8 kWh battery, and with a claimed range of 240+ km in eco mode. The company will be conducting the validation and certification of the production-spec model in February 2021. Simple Energy has moved into a 10,000sqfr R&D centre from a 150sqft office. The new workspace is located at Yelahanaka, Bangalore

"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. We started Simple Energy with a mission and the response we have received from the people is unbelievable, we have received over 1000 people enquiring for pre-booking for our Mark 2 when it is still in development." commented, Suhas Rajkumar, founder of Simple Energy.

The Mark 2 will be priced at around Rs 1-1.10 lakh, ex-showroom, which Rajkumar believes, will not only be a competitive offering against its rivals but will also give a better, cleaner and feature-rich alternative to a Rs 90,000-95,000 ICE scooter while offering a longer riding range and substantially lower cost of ownership. Simple Energy will be offering a warranty of 3yrs/30,000km on the e-scooter and 3yrs/unlimited km warranty on the battery

Simple Energy has moved into a 10,000sqfr R&D centre from a 150sqft office. The new workspace is located at Yelahanaka, Bangalore

Suhas also added, "We have raised an undisclosed amount last month and are also planning to raise more by next month. Currently, due to NDA, we cannot disclose the names as the investors are looking at announcing the same when closer to the launch. Simple Energy plans to have four experience centers in major cities, 2 in smaller cities, and provide exclusive Simple Energy dealerships to service centers."