Want to buy an e-scooter this festive season? Five essential tips just for you

The Indian electric vehicle (EV) revolution is being powered by electric scooters and sales have been on a consistant rise with each passing year. And each year, the festive period of September and October mostly sees robust sales for the industry at large and for electric scooter segment in particular. Options are plenty, deals are great and of course, all without the guilt of tailpipe emissions.

1 Check range but don't make it a sole reason to buy

There are electric scooters with a range of 80 kms, 90 kms or even high triple digits. On obvious lines, the higher the per-charge ride range, the better. But do you really need an electric scooter with 150 kms of range if your daily commute distance is 20 kms? No, right? Calculate what your monthly riding distance is and then factor in how much importance needs to be given to the range of an electric scooter you are considering. As a generic thumb rule, if your monthly ride distance is under 1,000 kms, an e-scooter with a per-charge range of under 100 kms is good enough. Do keep in mind that what companies claim and the range you will get in the real world will surely be different. And while frequent charging has its hassles, paying big bucks to avoid such a situation may not be very practical either.

2 Convenience of charging

Does the electric scooter you are considering offer removable batteries? If so, how heavy are these batteries and can they be carried easily to a wall socket inside your home or office? Or is a wallbox close enough to the parking lot for you to charge your scooter without the need for the batteries to come out? While most popular models in the country do not offer removable batteries, your requirements may be different. Factor in how quickly a battery (or batteries) can be charged to full when either the scooter itself is plugged in or when the battery unit(s) are taken out and charged separately when the option is available. 

3 Do I need speakers on my electric scooter?

Electric scooters are being packed to the brim with features, helping manufacturers brag about their models when pitted against rival models. But the real question is whether many of these features are indeed needed and if you should be paying extra bucks for these. Now factors such as reverse gear or rollback assist are great for riding convenience but whether you really need loudspeakers integrated into your e-scooter is a matter of debate. Of course geo-tagging your vehicle is super but does your wallet allow for it? Be mindful of features available on your preferred model but often, a lower variant may also be a practical option.

4 Check with existing owners of electric scooters

Each brand will make tall claims. It is business. But it is up to you to check the finer details - where is the nearest showroom, how is the service network and quality and what are the hiddden charges. Often, the best answers to these questions will come from those who already own an electric scooter from a brand you are considering. 

5 Do you really need an electric scooter?

The most important of all questions is whether you actually need a battery-powered electric scooter or will a conventional model do. And this is also a great tip before you make that investment. While true that electric scooters are bridging the price gap with conventional scooters, do check petrol-powered models to assess which addresses most of your requirement.

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