The Simple One has been in the making for a long while. Finally got my hands on a vehicle – and also managed a test ride. Build quality is better than the Ather. A lot of design elements are copied from the 450S – but there are some aesthetics – the front and back panels – that do look different. There is a Revolt inspired tail light – and a rakish front – which reminds me of the Mahindra 6E. It has been about a year since the company started selling its bikes. They have got 55 showrooms open – including two in Pune. I walked into the Tilak Road showroom to have a dekko.
The removable 1.4 kWh Battery. The connector is at the top – handy during flood situations
The battery is Simple’s killer app. It comes with two packs – a fixed 3.7 kWh and a removable 1.4 kWh one. Most people will probably salivate over the 5.1 kWh NMC battery pack – and the 248 km IDC range that Simple promises. (Expect a real life range of 150 to 160 km.) The algo is that the bike first uses the fixed pack – and uses the removable pack only once the fixed pack is out of juice. Both the packs are charged from the same charger – and you cannot charge the removable pack separately. And yes, the removable pack cannot charge the fixed pack. The 30 Wh per km that it delivers on is quite good when you compare it to its other Bangalore based rivals.
I see two areas of trouble – one is that the removable pack will be trickle charged for many months without being used. This could lead to pack deterioration – even though the promotional material at the showroom indicated that it offers a generous 8 year warranty on both battery packs. (The website shows the warranty as 3 years / 30,000 km.) Two, if you were to run out of juice – or if you do not have access to a plugpoint – then the removable pack serves very little function as of now. The company claims that you will be able to charge the removable pack in future – and that battery swaps can be offered. But all of that is the future – the present looks uncertain.
The PMSM Motor and Belt Drive
It is fast – no doubt about it – but I am not sure if people are going to love the fact that the Simple One shaves off 1.5 s on the 0–40 kmph sprint compared to the Ather or 0.5 s compared to the Ola S1 Pro. There are 4 modes – and the behavior on the Eco mode is like most other bikes. And there is a 5th mode – the reverse, which gets you back at 3 kmph. On the ride on congested Tilak road I got just one or two sprinting opportunities – using the Sonic mode – and it does bring a smile to the face to see competition roll back in the RVM. Speaking of RVMs, they have got a more compact design than the Ather – but not sure of the utility.
Service is something which people will closely watch Simple on, especially after the Ola troubles. It’s early days still – there have been a few sensor troubles. But I would watch the belts and the chargers with care. The 750 W charger retails at Rs. 15 K! Btw, the warranty on both is only for 20,000 km or 3 years, whichever is earlier. (No guesses for which one will be earlier.) The belt is naked – so it will face the same problems that the Ather faces. To Simple’s credit, the belt noise is much less compared to the Ather 450S. Only on the battery and motor do you get a 8 year warranty, And yes, no free lunches at Simple – all services are paid from the first one onwards. Priced at a reasonable Rs. 885. Warranty void if regular servicing is not done at authorised service centres!
The Type 6 Connector for Charging – Can take a peak current of 100 A
The TFT display is large enough for easy viewing. It gives tips on individual trips. There is connectivity to show notifications and alert you about incoming calls. There is a MapmyIndia map that you can access from the screen. It also has a Jio E Sim built in. There are no charges for the first two years for the ESim, but the company is not clear what will happen after that. Although there is blue tooth connectivity, you cannot access Google Maps on the TFT.
The braking was not up to the mark. One is used to regen – and the low level of regen that the Simple offered did not make one feel too safe in city traffic. There is talk about having settable regens in future, but that does not make present sense. The brake pads are expected to be checked every 4000 km – and that would not have been the case if regen was managed better. There is a provision for reverse throttle – but that will kick in after OS upgrades happen in future.
So the million dollar question for Simple? Will folks pay Rs. 1.88 lakh for the One? Or Rs. 1.55 lakh for the S One (which comes without the 1.4 kWh removable battery)? Well there is some traction – the company reported sales of 1000 units in Oct 25. That is about 20 per dealer. I have not been able to track sales after that, but my guess is that Oct was peak. Who are the people who would want a huge range? Probably folks involved in the delivery industry – but would they be ready to shell out an extra 50 K for that much more mileage? It could also be sales folks who would like to have buffers around for a rainy day. That is a more likely audience. It could also be the college kid who wants to have the best zip in town – and is ready to pay for looks.
But more likely Simple will learn that what keeps the home fires burning are family scooters. Ather’s upward trajectory started with the launch of the Rizta. What also helped was the petrol scooter price parity. Should Simple do an Ather dejavu?
Will Simple do that? Should Simple do that? The answer is – excuse the pun – simply, No. They definitely need to emulate Ather on service – that is a sine qua non. But to differentiate, Simple should focus on the battery, focus on the range. There will always be customers who want to go the extra mile – and Simple should help them get there. Another idea for the charge-challenged would be to use the portable pack to juice up the fixed pack, so that even if you don’t have access to a charging point, you can continue to use an electric vehicle. Simple ideas for Simple to adopt – and come out as a lambe race ka ghoda!