Maxi scooters are gaining popularity — the Aerox was the first, followed by other ICEs such as the Suzuki Burgman, Aprilia SXR160, and then the Hero Xoom 160. However, in the EV world, the River Indie was the sole player and the company has seen decent success, albeit a quiet one. Now, Ultraviolette has launched the Tesseract — not just a maxi scooter, but something more advanced than just an electric two-wheeler. So which one should you choose?
Ultraviolette Tesseract vs River Indie — Design and features
The Tesseract and India have a few things in common, and the most obvious is the design. Both scooters are large, run on 14-inch wheels, offer a long seat, a roomy floorboard, a lot of storage under the seat, and get telescopic suspension at the front. They also have disc brakes at both ends and a distinctive design that makes them instantly recognisable.
When you look past the appearance, things get even more interesting — the Ultraviolette Tesseract gets radars and inbuilt cameras for the front and rear, offering blind spot detection, overtake alert, and collision alert. The Tesseract gets hill hold control, cruise control, and a large TFT instrument console with navigation, music control, and more. There’s more — dual-channel ABS, a traction control system, and dynamic stability control.
The River Indie keeps things a bit subtle, with an LCD instrument cluster, a combined braking system, and a phone charging port. The lighting is all-LED and the scooter comes with built-in crash protection while the company offers a host of aftermarket accessories to kit up the Indie.
Ultraviolette Tesseract vs River Indie — Battery specifications
Both are electric and that’s where the similarities end. The Ultraviolette Tesseract is available with three battery packs – 3.5kWh, 5kWh, and 6kWh – and the range-topping variant has a claimed IDC range of 261km. The company also claims a top speed of 125kmph and an acceleration of 0–60kmph in 2.9 seconds.
| Specifications | Tesseract | Indie |
| Battery (kWh) | 3.5 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Range (km) | 162 | 220 | 261 | 161 |
| Power | 20 bhp | 9 bhp |
| Top speed | 125 kmph | 90 kmph |
The River Indie is powered by a sole 4kWh battery pack that has a claimed IDC range of 161km, with a top speed of 90kmph and a 0–40kmph acceleration time of 3.7 seconds — again, subtle. However, what comes as a cherry on the cake is the pricing — The Indie costs Rs 1.43 lakh ex-showroom, while the Ultraviolette Tesseract, with all the goodies, costs Rs 1.20 lakh, ex-showroom as an introductory offer, which the company says has received over 10,000 bookings already.
