There are some products we look forward to because we know they are arriving in our market, and then there are those that launch completely out of the blue. The Hypevolt-R is one such offering made by EZI, Keeway’s electric sub-brand. In fact, you won’t find any Keeway branding on this sporty step-through scooter.
Hypevolt-R Design, Quality, and Features
Sharp, comfortable and well made. Gets a lot of smart features, but is complicated to use.
There is plenty that makes the Hypevolt-R stand out. The sharp, arrow-shaped side panels, motorcycle-style handlebar and large 14-inch wheels give it a distinctive stance. Additionally, it gets disc brakes at both ends with dual-channel ABS. This electric scooter makes a strong first impression, especially with its build quality. The switchgear feels premium, and the overall fit and finish is impressive. The stainless-steel finish on the rear suspension, however, looks rather basic for something positioned as a premium offering.
Practicality is also good, with 27 litres of under-seat storage, enough for a half-face helmet and the provided 10-amp charger. It also gets 4.6 litres of storage at the front, which is split into two small, enclosed front compartments. Type-C and Type-A USB charging ports are also provided in the right storage compartment.
The 770mm seat height isn’t particularly tall, but the broad proportions mean shorter riders will find themselves on their toes. The riding position is otherwise comfortable, with raised footboards allowing you to sit in a more relaxed manner. Stretch your legs out fully, though, and the reach to the handlebar starts to feel a little long. I would have preferred the bars to be slightly higher and wider. The seat itself is excellent, and even after covering around 70km in a day, there was no soreness.
The Hypevolt-R is loaded with electronic features, but the way they are integrated could be better. Its colour TFT displays the basics, including the charge percentage of both batteries, but there is no range estimate. It can only be seen on your phone after connecting it via Bluetooth. The app also gives you access to traction-control settings, brake and coasting regeneration levels, maps and riding-mode selection.
With traction control in its standard setting, we found it worked decently, but hitting a bad pothole could result in the system cutting power for slightly longer than necessary. Even with both brake and coasting regeneration set to their highest levels, the regenerative braking didn’t feel particularly strong.
The switchgear itself is excellent, which makes the lack of more conveniently integrated controls into the display all the more disappointing. Riding modes can be changed on the go using a button on the right, while the left-side two-way switch controls reverse and cruise control. The reverse function is clever: hold the switch towards reverse and the scooter moves backwards; release it and the function disengages. It is quicker and more intuitive than systems that require you to separately engage and disengage reverse mode.
It also gets a reverse camera that doubles as a blind-spot detection system, with warning lights integrated into the mirrors. It is an interesting application of car-style ADAS technology, and the camera is useful only if you are too lazy to look over your shoulder. On a scooter, it feels more like a novelty than an essential feature.
The keyless system is another area that could be improved. Unlike most proximity-based systems, it doesn’t automatically unlock when the key is nearby. You have to press the unlock button on the fob first, then put it back in your pocket, making it a more time-consuming process than inserting a physical key.
Hypevolt-R Performance and Range
Surprisingly quick with a good real-world riding range.
The Hypevolt-R’s biggest surprise is its performance. There are three riding modes, each with a different top speed and throttle response. Eco is limited to 45kph, Normal takes that up to 81kph, while Sport allows the scooter to reach its claimed 115kph.
Throttle calibration is well done. Despite the strong acceleration, the scooter never feels intimidating, and I spent most of my time in Normal mode. The acceleration starts off linear, and gradually starts picking up quickly after 25kph. Normal mode offers enough punch for quick overtakes while preserving more range than Sport. Eco works well around town, but the 45kph limit makes Normal the more useful everyday setting. Sport, meanwhile, is for when you simply want to have some fun.
In our acceleration test in Sport mode, the scooter achieved the 0-80kph sprint in 7.49sec and 0-100kph in 13.05sec. With a 5.04kWh battery pack split into two units, the claimed IDC range is 180km, but in our testing, riding mainly in Normal mode, we managed 125km. That is a respectable real-world figure considering the performance it offers in this mode. Charging from 0-100 percent took 6hr 15min. The dual-battery setup gives you the choice of charging the scooter directly or the batteries separately at home. The catch is weight: each battery weighs 17.3kg. The charging cable is also rather short, which could be inconvenient depending on where your socket is positioned.
A major concern was what we saw inside the battery compartment after using it extensively in the rain. When we removed the batteries, there was quite a bit of water, dirt and muck inside. Apart from the compartment being difficult to clean, this is also not something that is pleasant to see.
Hypevolt-R Ride and Handling
Stable rather than outright sporty.
With its long wheelbase, it isn’t particularly sharp when you turn into a corner. Instead, it leans in progressively. Once settled into a corner, it is very stable. The Chinese-made Yosun tyres offer good grip, even in the wet, and provide plenty of confidence. The brakes are adequate at city speeds, although the rear ABS intervenes rather quickly when braking hard from higher speeds. The suspension works fairly well at slower speeds, but hit a deep pothole or speedbreaker at around 40kph, and it can deliver a sharp thud, with the quick rebound sometimes throwing me upwards along with an audible clunk from the front suspension.
Ground clearance is only 130mm, which sounds worrying on paper, but it dealt with most speedbreakers and undulations without any issues. The floorboard scraped just once, and that was over an especially poorly constructed speedbreaker.
Hypevolt-R Price and Verdict (Overall Rating)
A good overall package, but needs better visibility.
The Keeway EZI Hypevolt-R is a very capable electric scooter. Its performance is genuinely impressive, the seat is comfortable, build quality is good, and there is enough technology on board to make it feel premium. But some of that technology feels unnecessarily complicated, while a few other things, such as the battery compartment sealing and keyless system, could be worked on.
Priced at Rs 1.99 lakh (ex-showroom), it arrives in India as a CKD and occupies the premium end of the electric scooter market. It is sold through 44 Benelli and Keeway dealerships, although that brings us to perhaps its biggest challenge. The Hypevolt-R attracted plenty of attention during our time with it, but almost everyone who stopped to look had the same question – where can I buy one? For a product this distinctive, awareness is clearly still lacking. Better marketing and a stronger retail presence could go a long way towards giving this interesting electric scooter the audience it deserves.
Dinshaw Magol
Rishaad Mody
