The future is electric and it’s looking good for the two wheeler segment at least in India. Gurgaon-based start up 22 Motors, that was incorporated in 2016, has unveiled its first product — an electric scooter called Flow that will be launched in February 2018 at the Auto Expo in New Delhi.
Flow seems quite a promising electric scooter, especially for the technology it comes with and at the expected price point of Rs 65,000 to Rs 70,000 (as put forth by the company). It makes more sense picking up a scooter like this for daily commuting than a 110 cc or 125 cc petrol-based one.
The Quint will be getting you a quick first-ride impression of the Flow electric scooter soon.
What’s Unique About the Flow?
The Motor
Flow comes with a 2,100 watt electric motor (about 3 bhp in mechanical terms), which puts out 90 nm of torque at just 100 rpm. Compare that with a petrol scooter like the Honda Activa that makes only about 9 Nm of torque at 5,500 rpm and you’ll see why electric is exciting. Acceleration from an electric scooter is much quicker than petrol ones — but we’ll save our impressions on that for the actual ride experience.
It comes with front and rear disc brakes, with electronic brake assist and regenerative braking, which can retrieve about 6% charge in a normal ride. It features cruise control and a drag mode (it slowly moves the scooter along at walking speed, in case you have a puncture and want to push it). It also features a ‘reverse mode’, which allows you to move it backwards, slowly of course.
It can hit a top speed of 60 Kmph, the company claims.
The Battery
Flow comes with a removable lithium-ion battery pack that weighs only about 10 Kg. It sits in the floor of the scooter and can be easily removed and carried with the rider. It can be charged by any household 5 amp socket, achieving a full charge in about 5 hours — which is good for a range of 80 km on a single charge.
It also has a quick charge feature, with a special charger that can charge it to full charge in less than an hour. Or if you want a limited charge, it can get a range of 20 km in just 10 minutes of charging, the company claims.
The battery has a 50,000 km warranty. The company says it will provide replacement batteries if needed for free after that. Those who want to ride a longer distance, they can lease an additional battery (and store it under the seat), virtually doubling the range of the scooter.
The Design
22 Motors’ Flow looks quite contemporary, with nice detailing on the simple yet futuristic design. It is a standard step through design with huge underseat storage for two helmets and additional luggage. It weighs just 85 Kg, because of its fibre-glass panelling, yet uses a high-tensile steel chassis for ruggedness.
It features complete LED lighting — indicators, headlamps, tail-lamps included. The instrument panel is a LCD screen that displays multiple information, besides speed and remaining charge percentage.
It comes with a mobile app and 4G connectivity, allowing the user to control the scooter remotely as well. One can geo-fence it, or limit the speed using the app, allowing an owner to control how it behaves with other riders.
Overall, it is a pretty good effort at electric mobility. Bookings will start in February and it can be ordered online. The company is also setting up experience centres offline for potential buyers to get test rides. Sounds promising, but let’s hope the company can deliver.
Also read: India to Sell Only Electric Cars by 2030: Ambitious or Achievable?
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