Hero Vida V1 Pro vs Ather 450X vs Ola S1 Pro: Spec Comparison

We’ve been whining about Chinese electric scooters for a while, mainly due to their build quality, claimed performance figures, and so-called “features list.” So it’s nice to see Indian manufacturers pick up the mantle and deliver quality products, like the Ather 450X, which is undoubtedly the scooter to beat in the EV space. 

And though the Ola S1 Pro has been improved over time with OTA updates, we feel it still has some way to go before being called a truly “finished” product. It’s still impressive, to say the least. But now, we have yet another contender in the market, the Hero Vida V1 Pro. It promises to offer a whole lot in terms of practicality and usable range. So it’ll be interesting to see how this new e-scooter stacks up against some of the best in the segment. 

No surprise here, the Ola S1 Pro produces the most peak power and also its motor makes more torque than the other two combined. But on paper, it doesn’t open up a massive gap in the 0-40kmph run (at least from its claimed figures). In fact, the Ather and Vida are only 0.3 and 0.2 seconds off the mark, despite sporting a smaller, less powerful motor, and a massive torque deficit.   

That said, the S1 Pro comes into its own as it climbs speeds, posting the highest claimed top speed of 115kmph – 25kmph quicker than its rivals. At city speeds, though, we think all three scooters will be equally competent. That said, Ola’s Eco mode has notoriously slow acceleration, making it almost unusable in the city. The Ather really shines here, and we hope that the Vida does too.

But performance isn’t the only aspect one must consider while buying an e-scooter. Battery range and charge times also play an equally important role. 

Both the Vida V1 Pro and Ola S1 Pro pack large batteries capable of returning an impressive claimed range of 165km and 170km, respectively. That should be more than enough for your daily commute. But what may work against them are their charge times. While the V1 takes less than six hours from 0-80 percent, the S1 takes an additional half-hour for a full charge using a conventional 5-amp socket. On the bright side, both the Vida V1’s batteries are removable, for added convenience. 

However, if you’re usually pressed for time, you might want to consider the Ather 450X, which can be juiced up to 80 percent in just 4.5 hours, though you do get a little less claimed range.  

While information on the Vida V1 is scarce, it does appear to match its rivals in terms of equipment. 

None of the scooters lack features, but the V1 does trail behind a bit. For reference, it comes with a fully digital TFT touchscreen console, multiple ride modes (Eco, Ride, Sport and Custom), two-way throttle, cruise control, turn-by-turn navigation, parking assist, emergency alert, and key fob for keyless access. It also gets trip analytics, scooter diagnostics, regen, follow-me-home lights, anti-theft alarm, and document storage. 

On the other hand, the S1 Pro and Ather 450X come packed with some more features such as the super quick Warp mode on the Ather and Hyper mode on the Ola. Then the Ola one-ups the others with built-in speakers, and both the Ola and Ather offer map navigation. While there are slight differences in features offered on all three, we would say they’re fairly well matched. But if we had to rank them purely on the basis of number of features, the Ola S1 Pro would be on top, with the Vida V1 Pro next and the Ather 450X a close third. That said, simple OTA updates in the near future could help the V1 or even the 450X catch up with its competitors. 

Pricing

When you talk about value for money, the V1 Pro isn't the scooter that comes to mind. It isn't the most feature-packed here, nor is it powerful. More importantly, it doesn't justify its premium over its rivals. 

It's actually the Ola S1 Pro that strikes the right balance between an exhaustive list of features and impressive performance. We'd say the 450X comes in a close second. But if we had to choose, we'd still pick the 450X. It's still one of the most well-rounded e-scooters we've ridden in terms of usability, performance, range and features, and it's only been getting better with every update.