India’s electric two-wheeler market has been experiencing rapid growth in recent years, with numerous manufacturers entering the segment to meet the rising demand for sustainable mobility. Among the various electric scooters available, the Simple One has garnered significant attention, promising a combination of high performance, extended range, and an extensive list of features. But how does it fare in real-world conditions? News18 took the scooter for a ride, and here’s what we found.
Design
The Simple One Gen 1.5 boasts a modern and aggressive design that immediately stands out. With sharp lines, angular creases, and a bold stance, the scooter has a sporty and futuristic appeal. The front apron features sleek LED lighting, while the aerodynamic side panels enhance its overall aesthetics. The single-piece seat with a grab rail ensures both style and practicality.
Overall, the premium design of the Simple One helps distinguish it from conventional electric scooters in the market, making it an attractive choice for consumers looking for a stylish and performance-oriented EV.
Features
The Simple One comes equipped with a seven-inch TFT touchscreen, providing riders with all essential readouts. The interface is user-friendly, allowing easy navigation through various functions. A particularly noteworthy feature is the battery indicator, which shows the combined battery percentage. By long-pressing the indicator, users can also view the charge levels of both the fixed and removable batteries.
Additional notable features include Bluetooth connectivity, call and music controls, document storage, navigation, OTA updates, and four riding modes – Eco, Ride, Dash, and Sonic. Furthermore, the scooter offers an impressive 30 litres of boot space, which can be expanded to 35 litres by removing the portable battery, providing ample storage for riders.
Performance & Battery
At the heart of the Simple One is a 4.5kW motor, generating 11.3 bhp and 72 Nm of peak torque. This allows for quick acceleration, particularly in Sonic mode, making it one of the most powerful electric scooters in its class. The scooter can reach a top speed of 105 km/h, ensuring a thrilling riding experience.
The Simple One is powered by a 5kWh battery setup, which consists of a fixed 3.4kWh unit and a removable 1.6kWh unit. Together, they provide a certified range of 248 km in IDC, an improvement over the 212 km range of the Gen 1 model. However, in Sonic mode, our test ride yielded approximately 120 km, which is still sufficient for daily commuting needs. The charging time is around 5 hours and 54 minutes to reach 80% capacity using a home charger.
Ride & Handling
One of the key highlights of the Simple One is its seating ergonomics. The upright and comfortable riding posture, combined with a spacious floorboard, ensures a pleasant riding experience. The handlebars are positioned slightly higher than those on traditional scooters, making long rides more comfortable.
The scooter features telescopic front forks and a progressive monoshock at the rear, offering a smooth ride quality. The 200mm front and 190mm rear disc brakes provide adequate stopping power, though under sudden braking, there is a slight delay in deceleration, which could be improved. Additionally, the lean angles are somewhat limited, making sharp cornering a bit challenging.
The four riding modes – Eco, Ride, Dash, and Sonic – cater to different riding preferences. It’s worth noting that the portable battery restricts the scooter to Eco mode, while the fixed battery enables access to all four modes. This ensures that riders can choose the best mode depending on their needs, whether it’s maximizing range or enjoying a spirited ride.
Overall, the Simple One Gen 1.5 presents itself as a strong contender in the electric two-wheeler market, balancing style, performance, and practicality to deliver a compelling riding experience.
