Bounce Infinity E1 is surely one of the most affordable high-speed electric scooters in the market but does it have enough for people to switch from petrol to electric?
The push given to electric mobility has resulted in many new electric vehicles (EVs) under new brands entering the Indian market in recent times. One such promising brand which has been able to create the right buzz is Bounce Infinity. Like Ola, Bounce has been known to provide expertise in ride-sharing mobility primarily through two-wheelers.
The Bengaluru-based startup recently ventured into the EV space by unveiling its first electric scooter called E1. We recently got hold of the upcoming battery-powered scooter for a short period to check out how it performs in the rear world. We find out if the new e-scooter manages to stand out among a plethora of rivals in today’s market.
Design & Quality
Starting with its appearance, Bounce Infinity E1 flaunts a rather simple design that bodes well with the intention with which it has been built. It is compact and thankfully doesn’t stray too much from its petrol-powered counterparts. It gets a dual-pod LED headlamp with an integrated circular LED DRL which gives it a quirky look.
Complementing the headlamp cluster are twin LED indicators on the front apron which give the scooter impression of an Android on wheels. At rear, E1 gets a single-piece LED headlamp unit flanked by turn indicators with fin-like internals. However, the design isn’t that good enough to mask all its imperfections.
For starters, every single body panel has been made from fibre reinforced plastic, a trade-off for metallic panels in order to reduce weight of the scooter for obvious reasons like better performance and range. This results in an extremely nimble kerb weight of 94 kilos which makes it lighter than most of its petrol-powered rivals. Bounce is offering E1 in five colour options which could be further customised with aftermarket wraps although the quality and finish of paint are not among the best.
Quality of switchgear is fairly acceptable, however, the overall build quality isn’t solid. The round rearview mirrors were intended to provide retro appeal but are not very useful and wider persons may find it difficult to see what’s behind them.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics of the scooter has been kept fairly simple and intended for daily commutes. The rider sits upright with the handlebar pulled slightly inwards and plenty of space on the floorboard. The seat is very comfortable and spacious even for a pillion with the right amount of padding underneath. The scooter has been provided with feather-touch footpegs for the pillion which are a nice addition. Unfortunately, these won’t be making the cut in the production-spec model.
Features on offer
List of features is not too thin for a scooter at this price point. You get a standard negative LCD display which is eligible for most parts but isn’t crisp. The display reads out standard information like speed, distance covered, range left, etc. It gets two special modes namely- Reverse and Drag. The former is useful while moving the scooter from a tricky parking space.
While the latter is extremely useful in case of a tyre puncture. Underseat storage is cramped due to the big battery placed inside which leaves the consumer with only 11 litres. Only a half-face helmet can be kept inside the storage, however, depth of the luggage space may make it usable. It also gets a USB charger under the seat and two hooks for riders to fasten their belongings on the floorboard.
Illumination has been kept all-LED on both ends of the scooter. While specs sheets suggest that the scooter will be loaded with connected features like remote tracking, geo-fencing, etc., we got to experience none of it since this was a pre-production model and the software is still in the Beta stage of testing.
Ride & Handling
E1 is surprisingly a very good handler for a scooter meant for commuting purposes. The ultra-light kerb weight makes it super flickable in tight traffic. It can also lean into a corner with fair ease to a certain extent until the aftermarket side stand starts scraping. However, the suspension is a bit too firm for a commuter scooter and you feel each and every bump on the road.
With very little travel on offer, the front suspension does bottom out on an average-sized pothole. The good thing, though, is that the twin rear shock absorbers are adjustable for preload which should provide some comfort. Braking provided by a 230mm front and 203mm rear discs provide a very good bite. However, grabbing the brake levers too hard might result in the rider losing control as there is no ABS to save the day.
Performance & Range
Powering the Bounce electric scooter is a 1.5kW BLDC hub motor mounted on the rear wheel which derives its energy from a 48 V, 39 Ah Lithium-ion battery pack. For a commuter scooter, performance is more than energetic thanks to the massive surge of torque (85 Nm) which is available from the word go. It gets two ride modes- Eco and Power and we spent most of our time pulling the throttle hard in the latter.
While this did let us extract the fullest out of the emission-free powertrain, it resulted in a sharp decline of the estimated range shown on the console. The claimed top speed of 65 kmph was reached without much fuss. However, we came across a serious issue when the scooter failed to respond to the throttle inputs after a while.
Speed of the scooter gradually declined in fast-moving traffic but thankfully this was a momentary glitch. The system was up and running after the brakes were applied and the scooter slowed down for a while resulting in the battery cooling down and regenerating. Coming to range, contrary to the specs sheet, the electric scooter would return around a single-charge range of 65km on Eco Mode as opposed to 85km.
In Power Mode, this figure drops down to around 50-55km per charge. However, the actual range depends on various criteria, like riding style, rider’s weight, incline on roads, etc. In our limited stint, we tested the scooter through a variety of road conditions including hilly inclines, smooth straight tarmac and some rough trails as well. The E1 sailed through all conditions smoothly.
Price & Offerings
Bounce Infinity is offering two forms of ownership with E1- one with the battery that costs Rs 68,999 and one without the battery at a cost of Rs 45,099 (both prices are ex-showroom, Delhi). The ownership models adopted by Bounce are interesting. The company is pushing for the latter model where it could provide its expertise on battery swapping technology.
These battery swapping stations will be installed at a variety of places including the local grocery store, refueling stations, shopping malls, etc. A registered consumer has to pay a fixed subscription amount on a monthly basis along with a nominal amount on every battery swap. Bounce will be installing battery swapping stations with capacities ranging from a 2-unit station to a 20-unit station across multiple locations.
However, initially, these services will be available to just Tier 1 centres. On the other hand, the ones opting for the scooter with the battery pack are given a standard AC home charger but they won’t be able to enjoy the benefits of swapping. The standard home charger takes 4-5 hours to get the battery fully juiced up.
Verdict
Bounce Infinity E1 impresses you on most parts, however, there are some glaring drawbacks that need some serious attention. The overall fit and finish definitely needs a lift and we cannot guarantee reliability of the software which we didn’t get to test. Before deliveries commence from April onwards, Bounce needs to iron out the rough edges (quite literally).
We are also not yet confident of the ownership models offered by the company as there are too many tangibles involved. A simpler and more robust model would be very helpful for the consumers and the manufacturer in the long run. But that being said, Bounce is offering an electric scooter at a price much lesser than a petrol scooter.
The E1 has enough to offer that would suffice the needs of most Indian commuters. If the company could sort out the niggles before the scooter reaches production, it could be a game-changer in the segment which is blooming across the market. We’ll reserve our final judgment until we get to ride the production-spec model of E1.
