E-WENT Lightning

I got a Red coloured E-Went Lightning for the review that had silver accents on the front apron and side profile. The scooter gets a sculpted look at the front with the LED headlamp clusters and integrated LED DRLs. The head unit also gets dual sleek eyebrow-shaped LED DRLs. The instrument cluster gets a 20cm LCD showing information like speed, battery charge level, trip distance, etc. The switchgear on both sides comes with chunky switches, which are ergonomically well-designed. The scooter I reviewed had no wing mirrors fixed to it; hence, I couldn't test the ergonomics of that.

The footboard is quite spacious, ensuring you get to keep your feet comfortably. Being a commuter scooter, the Lightning offers ample space for your daily grocery bag to be kept at the footboard area, if you want. There is a storage compartment at the back of the front cowl, allowing you to keep a few small things like a key, a bottle, a wallet, a charger, etc.

The seat is wide and spacious, just like what you can expect from a commuter family scooter. However, if you are thinking of a significant amount of underseat storage, like many other models in the market offer, be sure to be disappointed.

Moving to the back, there is a split grab rail that not only helps the pillion rider with convenience, but also offers the rider the ability to tie something if he or she is carrying something at the back. The taillight gets a funky motif that draws attention easily.

In a nutshell, the E-Went Lightning doesn't come with a design that is absolutely eye-catching. However, it is practical and ergonomically designed.

I tested the E-Went Lightning on busy city roads, small lanes and bylanes - places where this electric scooter is supposed to be used. The performance of the scooter was quite good. The throttle response was smooth and sharp, allowing the Lightning to pick up instantly. However, the instant torque delivery is a common thing for electric vehicles.

The Lightning comes with three riding modes, namely Eco, Driving, and Power. Each of these riding modes comes with its respective impact on the level of battery charge and range per charge. Considering the fact that the E-Went Lightning is designed and developed as a commuter electric scooter, it will be used in the city, and mostly the Eco mode is expected to be in use, I tested the scooter accordingly. This mode promises the most of the range, while the Driving mode offers a balanced experience. On the other hand, the Power mode is a boosted one, meant for sportier performance. These modes can be selected by toggling the dedicated M switch on the right handle.

During the review, due to the congested traffic, pedestrians and road conditions, I was only able to take the speed up to 40 kmph. However, the manufacturer claims the Lightning can hit up to 70 kmph. Also, it is claimed to hit 0-40 kmph in 3.8 seconds.

An interesting fact about the powertrain is that the E-Went Lightning comes with a battery pack strategy that replicates the Vida VX2 Plus, the popular sporty electric scooter from the stable of Hero MotoCorp. Just like the Vida VX2 Plus, the E-Went Lightning comes with a dual removable battery pack. Combined, the 3.7 kWh lithium-ion battery claims to offer up to 145 km range per charge. But there is a catch.

Unlike the Vida VX2 Plus, in this electric scooter, when one battery is drained, you need to stop, open the seat, take the connecting cable out of the drained battery and reconnect it with another charged one sitting beside. I felt this needs better engineering to save the rider from the hassle of doing this during an emergency.

One good thing about the removable battery packs is that they can be charged anywhere, even if the scooter can't be taken to that particular spot. All you need to do is take the sturdy battery packs out of the scooter and take them to a spot where they can be charged. The manufacturer claims that battery packs take 4-5 hours to be fully charged, using a regular charger. The company also claims that the Lightning supports fast charging.

The battery pack and the rear-wheel-mounted hub motor claim to come with an IP67 rating, which means the electric scooter can ride through waterlogged streets.

During the review, I rode the scooter on regular asphalt and concrete roads, where there were smooth surfaces, rough patches, potholes, speed breakers, etc. This gave a fair idea about how the E-Went Lightning's ride and handling quality is.

The suspension of the E-Went Lightning felt stiff. While tackling the rough patches and potholes, it felt jerky, as the stiff suspension was resulting in the shock energy being felt significantly. I felt the suspension setup could be slightly softer, which would ensure a balanced riding experience, since it is not built for sporty performance but for day-to-day commuting.

When it comes to braking, the Lightning uses 220 mm disc brakes at the front and rear. The braking performance is pretty good. In fact, I tested the braking in multiple riding scenarios, and must say, the disc brakes do the job neatly, offering adequate bite and precision braking.

Speaking of the features, the E-Went Lightning comes with dual LED projector headlamps, LED DRL, a large hexagonal LCD display on the instrument cluster, leather seats, alloy wheels, etc. The instrument cluster shows information like double battery indicator, speed, trip details, brake indication, parking safety mode indication, drive mode, throttle indication, etc. However, at this price, the instrument cluster could have offered a better display, like a TFT panel, with a better user interface.