Choosing the right electric scooter: factors to consider

We live in a world flooded with choices in every sphere of our lives, especially in the products we buy. From toothbrushes to televisions, every product has hundreds of competing brands and products with miniscule differences. When it comes to products we’ve been using for years, the choice is instinctual, and therefore, easy.

But when it comes to buying an electric scooter, especially your first, it becomes extremely important to do your research and pick the right one as per your needs. The Indian market has several options of smart and powerful electric scooters, but what are the factors to determine the right choice for you? Apart from the obvious oneslike cost and your budget, this article will cover all things to consider before buying an electric scooter.

Factor 1: Electric Scooter Range

Perhaps the most important factor to consider is the range, or the approximate distance that your electric scooter can give you on a full charge. While it’s a great thing to have, it’s not necessary to purchase the electric scooter with the longest claimed range. Instead, a good way to decide is by lookingat how much distance you need your scooter to go on a daily basis.

The Ather 450X gives you a certified range of 150 km on a full charge. But is that good enough for most use cases?

As per our insights gathered over 1 billion km of riding data, the average electric scooter user’s commutes are about 25–30 km long a day, which is less than 30% of the electric scooter battery life provided by a full overnight charge. Therefore, for most users’ daily requirement, an overnight 6–8 hour charge with the electric scooter charger provided with the Ather scooter is plenty for 3–4 days of usage. In extenuating circumstances, where more than 150 km is needed, Ather also provides the option of public fast charging all over the country, where you can get up to 15 km range in just 10 minutes.

Factor 2: Battery & Charging

The electric scooter’s battery is as important as the electric scooter itself. Any battery (phone/laptop/scooter/car) deteriorates slowly and gradually over time and use, and this ‘cost of battery’ of electric scooters does add to the overall cost of the vehicle itself. To ensure that your electric scooter battery life doesn’t deteriorate so much that it causes sudden problems, a robust battery warranty becomes vital.

Ather Battery Protect is a one-of-a-kind, first-in-the-industry battery warranty solution. For just ₹6999, Ather Battery Protect extends your 3 years/30,000 km manufacturer’s warranty to 5 years/60,000 km, and also provides a Performance Guarantee with free, no-questions-asked battery replacement. Where other OEMs only replace the battery when it’s completely dead, Ather Battery Protect will replace it if your battery’s state-of-health goes below 70% (i.e. operates at <70% of its optimal performance efficiency). What’s more, it also gives you 100% coverage against defects and failures, with no upper limit to claims and idle state assurance — which protects your battery against deep discharge, even if you haven’t charged it for a long period of time. All this saves a lot in terms of battery cost of electric scooters, and as a result, the cost of the electric scooter itself.

Factor 3: Electric Scooter Performance

One of the easier deciding factors is the electric scooter’s top speed. However, just like battery life, it isn’t necessary that the scooter with the highest speed is the most suitable one for you, especially if you live in a city with traffic that doesn’t let you accelerate beyond a certain limit.

But for those who do enjoy the occasional high-speed zip through traffic, the Ather 450X electric scooter top speed is 90 km/hr, with an unbelievable Warp mode acceleration from 0–40 km/hr in just 3.3 seconds!

Ather 450 Apex offers a top speed of 100 km/hr, and with Warp+ mode you can accelerate from 0–40 km/hr in just 2.9 seconds!

Yes, these are no super bikes, but are pretty powerful electric scooters in their own right.

Factor 4: Electric Scooter Design & Smart Features

Among the slightly less important things to consider before buying an electric scooter is the overall design and smart features. On the design front, the decision is purely subjective, and depends on whether you’re looking for sporty, futuristic looks like the Ather 450X or a more family-oriented design like that of Ather Rizta. These are all Made in India, for India.

Ather electric scooters also run on an Android-based operating system called AtherStack, therefore allowing it to be loaded with smart features that set it apart from most of its peers. Some of these include Google Maps navigation on your dashboard, Park AssistTM, AutoHoldTM, Push Location from Whatsapp, Trip Planner and so much more!

Factor 5: The Test Ride

While numbers and features make for great theoretical points, no buying decision should be made without first test riding all the electric scooters in your shortlist. Only when you test ride them all, will you know what to expect from each scooter and how the ride feels.

The electric scooter you finally purchase is going to be by your side on some of your most important rides, for many years to come. It HAS to feel just right.

So… which is it?

Which is the right electric scooter for you? We’re tempted to say the Ather 450X, because it scores pretty high on ALL the factors listed above and we just love the way it rides. But we’ll still hold out and ask YOU to do your evaluation, weigh the pros and cons of each Electric Scooter, make your shortlist, do your test rides and then pick the one that’s right for you. We trust you’ll find that your answer matches ours.

Choosing the right electric scooter: factors to consider was originally published in Ather Energy on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.