Top 5 Electric Scooter Launches In 2020

 To say that 2020 was an interesting year would be an understatement. While some of us are still stuck in March mentally, the next March is actually closer now. Nevertheless, an interesting year it was indeed, and it t started with quite the bang for electric scooters. While we haven't been able to ride too much this year, personal mobility will be a key space in the immediate future and so, these e-scooters have a bigger role to play in the times to come. So, in the final month of 2020, let's take a look at the top five electric two-wheeler launches of 2020 that made a big impact.

1. Bajaj Chetak

The Bajaj Chetak was a highly-awaited launch that marked the return of the two-wheeler brand back to making scooters and the iconic nameplate. The Chetak, now an electric scooter, turned out to be quite impressive, with its all-metal body, neo-retro design language and a top-notch build quality. Power on the scooter comes from the 4 kW electric motor that offers up to 5.36 bhp of peak power, and 16 Nm of peak torque. Continuous power drops down to 5 bhp. The top speed was slightly disappointing though at 60 km. The model comes with two modes - Eco and Sport. Bajaj Auto claims a range of 95 km on a single charge in the Eco mode, which drops to 85 km in the Sport mode. With prices starting at ₹ 1 lakh for the Urbane variant and ₹ 1.15 lakh (all prices, ex-showroom Pune) for the Premium variant, the Chetak has been a promising offering in the electric two-wheeler space. However, the pandemic did delay the company's sales and distribution plans and the e-scooter remains available only in Pune and Bengaluru for now.

2. Ather 450X

Ather Energy's new flagship is also its most advanced offering yet, bringing the best from the Bengaluru-based start-up to the fore. The Ather 450X is a step-up from the now-discontinued 450 and boasts of new colours, larger battery pack and even a higher-spec 6 kW electric motor. As a result, the 450X now makes 26 Nm of peak torque, while the range stands at 85 km on a single charge. The Ather 450X is also the only offering on this list that gives you the thrills as we found out in our road test review recently. The sharp and futuristic design, coupled with top-spec build and performance, ensures that it is one of the most sought-after made-in-India electric scooters to get your hands on. The performance does come at a steep price of ₹ 1.60 lakh (ex-showroom), but as far as turning heads is concerned, the 450X does that aplenty. With Ather expanding to 27 cities by the end of FY2021, it will also be more readily available.

3. TVS iQube

TVS Motor Company finally jumped to the electric bandwagon with the iQube in January this year. It was the third major electric offering in that month with the Chetak and the 450X. The TVS iQube promises to be practical with the ease of a conventional scooter, and the eco-friendly nature of an electric model. The scooter gets a largely conventional design, barring the cyclops-inspired headlamp unit. It also comes with a digital console that offers several connectivity features. The e-scooter uses a 2.25 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that powers the 4.4 kW motor with 6 bhp on offer. The scooter promises a top speed of 78 kmph while the claimed range stands at 75 km on a single charge. It will take about 4-5 hours to completely charge the scooter from a standard 5 ampere socket. Sadly, we haven't seen much of the TVS iQube since its launch and the scooter is only available in Bengaluru for now. We do hope to see it in newer cities in 2021.

4. Ampere Magnus Pro

Engineering and heavy equipment maker, Greaves Cotton ventured in the electric mobility space with the Ampere brand and the company is retailing electric scooters at accessible prices. Earlier this year, the company introduced its new flagship, Ampere Magnus Pro, that takes on 110 cc ICE scooters and is aimed at buyers looking at a family-friendly offering. The scooter is loaded on features and comes with LED lighting, keyless entry, anti-theft alarm, Combi-Braking, and even a Limp mode that offers an extra 10 km of reserve battery. The Magnus Pro promises a range of 100 km on a single charge and a top speed of 55 kmph. The Ampere Magnus Pro will meet your commuter needs and at a price of nearly ₹ 74,000, it is an inexpensive all-rounder.

5. BGauss B8

2020 saw a new player emerge in the electric scooter segment called BGauss. The new start-up commenced operations in July this year with a line-up of futuristic electric scooters namely - A2 and B8. Both models are offered with lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion batteries with prices starting from ₹ 52,499 for the BGauss A2 and from ₹ 62,999 (all prices, ex-showroom) for the B8. The BGauss B8 is the more powerful of the two and also comes with features like geofencing, combi-brakes, anti-theft alarm, remote lock/unlock, find your scooter and more. The B8 packs a 1.9 kW motor with three riding modes and promises peak torque of 94.6 Nm. The range stands at 70 km on a single charge on the lithium-ion version (78 km with the lead-acid battery) and a top speed of 50 kmph. The B8 is one of the more interesting choices on sale today.