Battle Of The Premium Electric Scooters

We haven't seen anything like the recently introduced River Indie thanks to its emphasis on practicality. But how does it fare in comparison to its competitors in terms of other crucial aspects like range, battery specifications, and features? Find out as we compare what’s dubbed as the ‘SUV of scooters’ to its chief rivals, the Ola S1 Pro, Ather 450X, TVS iQube S, and Vida V1 Pro. 

River Indie vs Rivals: Battery, Motor & Charging

Now even though River’s range might appear lower than some others below, it's important to emphasize that River claims real-world range whereas the others are all ARAI-certified, figures obtained under ideal circumstances. 

Its peak power and torque figures are more in line with those of the Ather 450X as is its claimed 90 kph top speed. Considering its large battery capacity, the charging time is also on the higher side. It’s important to note here that the Ather 450X, Vida V1 and the Ola S1 Pro are the only three e-scooters to have the option of fast-charging.

River Indie vs Rivals: Features

The Ola’s console is one of the largest, touch-compatible units, and boasts of the most features like anti-theft alert, geofencing, cruise control, reverse mode and a lot more. The Ather 450X and the Vida V1 Pro follow the Ola, after which comes the TVS iQube S. That doesn’t mean the iQube S isn’t feature loaded though, and it comes pretty close to the others. For example, only the Ather 450X and Ola S1 Pro have the hill hold function among these scooters. The iQube S, though, does have a parking brake lever clasp.

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The Indie, on the other hand, misses out on bits like hill-hold and regenerative braking. In fact, its six-inch LCD console is the only non-TFT one packing a rather simple three riding modes (Eco, Ride and Rush). It even misses out on bluetooth and smartphone connectivity. 

Rather, the e-scoot takes a different approach here. Instead of boasting an endless list of technological features, most of which one might ont even use in his/her lifetime, the Indie promises tangible bits that are usable in the real world. You have a massive 43-litre underseat storage (largest in segment) along with a 12-litre lockable front glove box.

There are also two USB charging ports. It also comes with standard bits like crash guards and optional accessories like rider footpegs and built-in pannier mounts, stuff that's unheard of in this segment. These things might not earn you the bragging rights that the others would, but they surely make the Indie the perfect camping companion.

River Indie vs Rivals: Price

The Indie is one of the more affordably-priced electric scooters on this list with its prices starting from Rs 1.25 lakh (introductory prices). Like the others, it too, has taken a unique way to attract customers. What River has done with the Indie, is prioritise utility over pure performance or an endless list of features, something that is perhaps the most crucial aspects of a daily runabout. We hope River is able to establish a wide network of dealers so that there are no bottlenecks when its deliveries commence in August.