Simple Energy One review: Is choosing One that Simple?

We are out here today with the Simple One electric scooter from Bangalore-based start-up company Simple Energy. And unlike before, when we first got our hands on the scooter, a couple of years ago, well, that was a pre-production level scooter and not a road-going proper production-spec model like we have out here with us today. So finally, we are going to get our hands on the scooter out in the real world and check out how it actually functions and what it offers. So, let's get right to it.

Design & Features:

Now there's no denying that the Simple One is one heck of a good looking electric. With a seemingly endless supply of sharp cuts and creases all over, it looks athletic and fast even when its standing still. Now although the Simple One scooter we got our hands on back then a couple of years ago looked equally as appealing, the fit and finish levels have definitely gotten a lot better now, while the switchgear feels more durable too. I like how neat and tidy this scooter is. There isn't a wire out of place. The all-LED lighting looks neat and the stitch of the seat and the materials used in its construction feels of good quality as well.

In terms of features, you have a nice 7-inch Colour TFT screen which is responsive to the touch, colours and layout of everything is good too, but I wasn't overly impressed with the way it is encased. Because you can't see the screens edges because of the plastic panel that surrounds it, also the MapmyIndia layout on the navigation side of things is zoomed out quite a bit, giving you an unnecessarily broad view of what's kilometers away and not focused on the path directly in front of the scooter. The map is really slow to update in real time too. Some of the readouts are super tiny and not the easiest to gauge at a glance.  Moving on, you have rapid braking feature that activates the hazard lights when you brake hard, TPMS, reverse and park assist and four ride modes Eco, Ride, Dash and Sonic that have varying speed limitations to conserve battery power and there's an odd bit about this which I'll get into later. You can shift through the ride modes or control your music through the toggle switches on the right. The scooter rides on 12-inch wheels at both ends, clad in some nice TVS Eurogrip tyres, then you have disc brakes at both ends, CBS and a belt drive system.

Everything about this Simple scooter feels, well, not overly complicated, and rather nice and tidy. And you get a feeling of that when you get aboard as well.

Seating:

All right, now come in to the seating position and the posture that the Simple One will require you to assume. Now for my 5'9 foot frame, I found it pretty decent seating wise. A good amount of space at the back as well for the pillion as well, decent amount of knee room as well. Although, the taller you are, well, the you will find the legroom area tight on account of this scooter's design.

Another unique feature about the Simple One is its split battery pack.

Battery Pack:

All right. Now coming to the Simple One's battery pack. Now it is the same 5kWh hour battery pack that it had before. But previously, while the scooter was said to give you an IDC range of around 212km to a complete charge. Well, now, Simple Energy has optimized the battery efficiency and the consumption rates to the One which allows the scooter to give you around 246km to a complete charge in Eco ride mode. so a bit of a step up there. But, we'll have to test it further to really comment on that aspect. But the unique thing about this battery is the fact that it does come in a split pack setup.

Now, under the floorboard, you have a 3.7kW hour battery pack, which is fixed and under the seat. You have a detachable 1.3kW hour unit that is around 10kg. Now, Simple Energy tells us that this scooter will take around eight hours to come to a complete charge using the included 750W charger, which happens to conveniently fit in the under-seat bay. Well, you have a rather generous boot space to work with - around 30-litres of space in fact. So more than, more than sufficient for your face helmet. But in terms of battery pack, that is really unique to this particular model.

The odd bit about this battery pack is that although this scooter with its detachable battery pack has been on sale for over two years now, you still can't charge the removable battery out of the scooter. And till now, have to use the 750W charger and charge it through the scooter as a complete system. Simple Energy tell us that they are working on a small adapter fitment for the charger which will allow you to charge the portable battery at your convenience. But when this will actually become a reality is anyone's guess at this point.

 Performance, Ride & Handling:

When it comes to performance, ride and handling departments, now here's where the Simple One stands out quite a bit. The motor makes a very healthy amount of power (11.5PS) and torque (72Nm) and delivers a sprightly performance in the right settings. It's not the most silent unit in its way of functioning though. From the four ride modes, Sonic is the most responsive to throttle inputs and the scooter feels at its lively best. But remember that odd bit that I spoke of earlier, well it has to do with the State of charge and the ride modes. Depending on the SoC you have left, the scooter decides which modes are accessible to you or not. You can ride in Sonic mode, where you can hit the top speed of 105kmph very easily, till around 62 per cent SoC after which this ride mode is deactivated. Dash mode, where you can get up to 90kmph well this ride mode is accessible if you are above 52 per cent SoC. And once you're down to 35 per cent, Ride mode is disabled. Which is weird, because I get the point of trying to be conservative with the battery and extend range, but in the end, as the rider, I'd like to be the one who decides how I get to ride the scooter. On this ride, there was an instance where I had to cover 13km on an open highway with enough juice to make it to my destination easily, but the scooter recognised the lower SoC and went ushered me into dismay by limiting my speed to around 50kmph in Eco. And it slowed down further climbing up bridges which was agonising.

Eco mode is not the worst, response wise, but in a situation like this, it can prove quite frustrating.

Aside from that, the Simple One feels lovely to ride. Throttle calibrations is good, the scooter feels well balanced from the moment you set off, and it is very light, especially at the front, and agile to flick about the place, just as you'd want from a scooter of this sort. The suspension is extremely absorbent at city speeds up to 60kmph and will take pretty much everything you throw at it with great composure. It can handle a fairly tight bend very nicely at a moderate pace too. The bite from the front brake could be calibrated to bite harder, because this one genuinely does feels really quick. Thankfully, the combi-brake on the rear lever feels a little more reassuring. Up till the speed of around 80kmph you feel all is good in the universe, but above that speed, there's a lot of play in the fork up front and you feel quite a bit of judder on that end, which can leave you feeling a bit unsettled. The scooter feels planted in a straight line, but you always have this feeling of it being a bit out of place at higher speeds.

Conclusion:

So, this brings us to an important question. What has Simple Energy done in the last two years? Simple Energy has managed to sell 2500+ scooters in the last two years.. primarily out of Bengaluru and the southern belt from their 10 dealerships . Simple Energy currently has 10 sales outlets and 11 service centers in these same parts of the country and plan on doubling that figure by April this year.

What they now have done for 2025 is improve on the level of fit and finish as well as optimise battery consumption in Eco mode in particular, taking the claimed IDC range up from 212km to 248km. This can be managed via an OTA update for existing Simple One scooters owners. The price of the scooter remains the same as before.

So, a couple of plus points â€" one obviously the way this scooter looks. The way it functions, the way it rides, handles. The suspension setup is really good for most part. Yes. It is one of the most comfortable electric scooters currently out here in India, for its sporty intentions as well. The biggest downside that I see for this scooter is the fact that, yes, Simple energy has in fact struggled with that after sales and service network, and that primarily is going to be a big influence on your purchasing decision at the end of the day.

Once Simple Energy figure that one out, which as we're told, they are working on doing in the next couple of months, that will definitely heighten interest towards offerings like this. Because, that will essentially make or break your decision on whether you want to buy an electric scooter from Simple Energy at the end of the day. Now, this scooter, the simple one, retails for around Rs 1.66lakh ex-showroom. For the Simple Dot One, which is basically the same scooter minus the detachable 1.3kW hour battery pack. That one will retail for around Rs 1.45lakh. So, this higher spec, the bigger battery pack version is pretty much in the same ballpark as something like the 450 X. The Simple Electric may not pack as many features as the Ather 450, but with this one, it's more about the look, the way it functions and the comfort it provides. That is really outstanding on this, scooter. And if you are looking for modern and sharp-looking, comfortable e-scooter with a good amount of features, the Simple One makes a decent case for itself.