The electric scooter market is evolving and in recent times, many interesting scooters have emerged such as the sporty Ather 450, the retro-looking Chetak EV, the muscular TVS iQube, and the funky Ola S1. To add to the diversity in design, the Rivier Indie is one more to look at for being unique.
All five electric scooters are targeted at consumers who are looking to commute in the city with no tailpipe emission, however, each scooter offers something unique. Let’s take a more detailed look at all five electric scooters to see what they offer.
River Indie vs Ather 450 vs Ola S1 vs TVS iQube vs Bajaj Chetak comparison
River Indie – design and features
Starting with the River Indie, the first glance is enough to know that this electric scooter stands out from the rest. The Indie is a large scooter in terms of dimensions and its unique twin-pod headlamp design sets it apart from the rest. Also, the Indie does not feature a traditional cowl covering its handlebar, and instead, uses motorcycle clip-on bars.
The Indie features a large instrument cluster, dual rear shocks, telescopic front forks, disc brakes at both ends, inbuilt crash guards, racks to mount side panniers, and its most unique feature — a 43-litre storage capacity.
Ather 450
The Ather 450 features an angular design and is the most sporty-looking EV in India currently. The sleek yet minimalistic design of the Ather 450 has garnered a huge fan following in India and the scooter features a touchscreen instrument cluster with phone connectivity, navigation, vehicle data, and much more.
The Ather 450 gets telescopic front forks, a monoshock at the rear, disc brakes at both ends, 12-inch wheels, and a 22-litre storage capacity under the seat.
Ola S1
The Ola S1’s design features retro touches with unique elements such as the single fork design and LED lights, throwing a mix of retro and modern together. The Ola S1 features a relaxed riding position while featuring a host of tech such as phone connectivity, navigation, artificial engine sound, and even a party mode that turns on all the lights.
The Ola S1 gets disc brakes at both ends, a monoshock at the rear, 12-inch alloy wheels, and gets 36-litres of storage under the seat. The Ola S1 also features speakers that the user can play music on.
TVS iQube
The TVS iQube is one of the two scooters on this list made by a ‘traditional’ two-wheeler maker and looks muscular, like any other ICE scooter. The iQube’s design is kept subtle to cater to a wide audience, regardless of their age.
The TVS iQube features telescopic front forks, dual rear shocks, a disc brake up front and a drum brake at the rear, a digital instrument cluster with navigation and smartphone connectivity, and more.
Bajaj Chetak
The Bajaj Chetak is the most premium-looking electric scooter in this category because of its retro classic design and metal body. The Chetak features a single round-ish headlight, flowing bodywork, and the whole design package is well put together.
The Chetak, unlike all the other scooters above, features a simple instrument cluster with navigation and call alerts, while displaying vehicle-specific essentials such as range and speed. The single-sided suspension setup at both ends also helps showcase the design language better, while the drum and disc brake combination does a good job.
River Indie vs competition – Battery, range, and recharge time
| Specs | Battery | Range | Power | Recharge | Top Speed |
| Indie | 4kWh | 120km | 26Nm | 5 hours | 90kmph |
| 450 | 3.7kWh | 105km | 26Nm | 4.5 hours | 90kmph |
| S1 Pro | 4kWh | 135km | 58Nm | 6.5 hours | 116kmph |
| iQube | 3.04 kWh | 100km | 33Nm | 5 hours | 78kmph |
| Chetak | 3 kWh | 90km | 20Nm | 4 hours | 70kmph |
Looking at the table above, the Ola S1 Pro offers the most range, power, and top speed, while the Indie and Ather 450X are identical. The Indie offers more range and storage, while the iQube and Chetak offer what commuters in the segment want — usable range and quick charging time. However, the deciding factor will be based on your budget as the Chetak is the most-expensive amongst the lot and all scooters differ widely in terms of pricing.
