BREAKING: The Simple One Is Here To Rule Them All

After its debut in 2021, Bengaluru-based Simple Energy has finally launched its highly anticipated e-scooter – the One. 

What's The Price? Who Are Its Rivals?

The Simple One has been launched at Rs 1.45 lakh with the revised FAME-II subsidy and Rs 13,000 extra for the 750 watt home charger. For perspective, its rivals – the Ather 450X with the Pro Pack costs Rs 1.45 lakh, while the Ola S1 Pro will set you back by Rs 1,24,999 (all prices ex-showroom Bengaluru, incl. FAME-II subsidy). Yes, the TVS iQube ST too is a competitor, but there are no signs of it debuting anytime soon. 

Deliveries to start in Bengaluru June 6, 2023 onwards and other cities will follow soon in a phased manner.

How Many Variants Are There?

The Simple One is available in one variant with four standard colours and two special edition paint schemes. For the two special paint schemes, the scooter demands Rs 5,000 more than the standard model.

What's New?

Well, after its first public appearance in 2021, a lot changed last year – the new winglets, the Ducati Panigale V4-inspired tail light and the headlight. But compared to the pre-production version we rode last year, there aren’t any visual changes. So, it continues with its sporty styling that will appeal to the younger audience.

The Simple one is powered by a 4.5kW BLDC motor with a peak power of 8.5kW and a maximum torque of 72Nm. It has a claimed top speed of 105kmph, and can sprint from nought to 40kmph in a claimed 2.77 seconds.

This motor is paired with a 5kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Thanks to its hybrid layout, there’s a 1.3kWh fixed unit under the floorboard and a removable 1.5kWh pack in the underseat storage. Simple claims that the One has a range of 212km. With the home charger, it takes five hours and 54 minutes to charge up to 80 percent. There’s a public charger available too that can charge up to 80 percent at 1.5km per minute but it will be open to owners later this year.

Of course, like every other premium e-scooter, there are a bunch of tech-savvy features. This includes four riding modes: Sonic, Dash, Ride and Eco. On the connectivity front, there’s an app to check ride stats and scooter behaviour, along with OTA updates.

Underpinnings on the Simple One include telescopic fork and monoshock setup to handle suspension duties and disc brakes to drop the anchor. Simple One uses 12-inch wheels at both ends for an engaging ride. That said, at 134kg (kerb), the Simple One is a heavy scooter, in fact, it is 19kg heavier than when we rode it last year.

ZigSays

Yes, the launch of the Simple One has been delayed for quite some time now; but now, despite the hike in the price, it seems like a tempting option. Plus, with its hybrid battery pack, not only has it managed to obtain FAME-II subsidy, but has made it very convenient to take up the battery and charger at places where a wall-mounted charger isn’t accessible. We had already ridden the pre-production version last year and were mighty impressed. But has Simple Energy improved its quality and can it deliver on its new promises? We’ll know that soon enough.