Ather 450S, Ola S1 Air, TVS iQube: Clash of the Affordable Electric Scooters – Battery Size, Features
2W EV space is currently in a conundrum with the recent FAME II subsidy scheme revisions. The safety net of FAME II subsidy for EV makers to reach out to potential buyers with attractive pricing is now history. Manufacturers are now striving to make available more affordable models with smaller batteries to counter this.
Ather and Ola are already onboard with launching less expensive variants. Now, recent reports suggest that TVS seems to be buying a ticket to board this train. A more affordable variant with fewer features seems to be the agenda. We should see similar design as iQube, with less of, well, everything. Let’s take a look.
TVS iQube Pocket-Friendly Surprise: What to Expect
Revisions in FAME II subsidy include a reduction in subsidy per kWh from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 10,000. Also, this revision brings a 15% cap for subsidies with respect to their ex-sh prices. This was pegged at 40% earlier. And is a primary reason why manufacturers are turning towards less expensive electric scooters.
TVS iQube electric scooter is currently the second-largest seller in 2W EV space. TVS sold 5,253 units in June 2023, which is 15,143 units down from 20,396 units sold in May 2023, just a month before. With sales plunging dramatically, a less expensive model with the right specs should prove beneficial.
TVS iQube Base Model Specs: Cloak and Dagger, Stay Intrigued!
As of now, specs aren’t available. TVS currently sells two variants of its popular iQube scooter. The base Standard iQube variant and mid-spec iQube S variant. The top-spec iQube ST is still not on sale despite being announced alongside the other two. Only the top-spec iQube ST has a 4.56 kWh battery. Both variants currently available on sale feature a 3.04 kWh battery.
So, if TVS is carving out a less expensive model, it will boast a battery smaller than 3 kWh. The TFT screen is non-touch with base iQube Standard. The soon likely to be base model might feature an LCD unit like on its ICE range of scooters. We hope range is not less than around 80 km in real-world use.
Pricing is likely to be around Rs. 1.2 lakh (ex-sh). Base iQube Standard costs Rs. 1.55 lakh (ex-sh) and mid-spec iQube S costs Rs. 1.62 lakh (ex-sh).
The Rise of the Affordable EV: TVS iQube Joins the Race – Expected rivals
TVS’ upcoming base model for iQube line will rival the likes of upcoming Ather 450S and Ola S1 Air. Ather 450S will cost Rs. 1.3 lakh (ex-sh) and Ola S1 Air starts from Rs. 85,000 with a 2 kWh battery. Price increases upto Rs 1.1 lakh for the 4 kWh battery option. Not only is Ola offering a larger 4 kWh battery with its least expensive model, but it is offering most of the techy gizmos seen in S1 Pro.
