Ather bikes in India (3)

Autocar India

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For your particular use case, the Hero Splendor XTEC 2.0 would perhaps be the most fuss-free and easy to own machine. Considering the rigors of your profession, you need something that's hardy, frugal and easy to fix when things go sideways - attributes that define the Splendor to the T. At the same time, its hard to ignore the practicality of the TVS Jupiter 110, especially the 33 litre boot, which can accommodate a lot. However, comfort and fuel economy will not be as high as the Splendor. And since fuel economy is an important consideration for you, we'd recommend you also consider the Bajaj Freedom CNG motorcycle. Sure, it has its quirks, but if you want low running costs, then the Freedom is hard to top. In the EV segment, you will get options that can give you 80-90km real world range at real world speeds (read: above 50kph) on a single charge like the TVS iQube 3.1, Bajaj Chetak 3001 and Ather Rizta S 2.9. In their eco modes, you may be able to cross 100km, but your maximum speed will be capped at 35-40kph and it won't be feasible for the time-sensitive nature of your job.Pick between these options depending on what strong points matter the most to you.

Autocar India

•6d

Currently, the electric bike market in India has very limited options under the Rs. 2 lakh mark and even among those, none of them have proven to be compelling alternatives to ICE motorcycles. We'd strongly recommend you consider an electric scooter instead because it will give you the benefits of an EV like low running costs and the comfort of home charging while bringing in practical features like a large underseat storage area. Specifically, options like the TVS iQube, Ather Rizta, Bajaj Chetak and Vida VX2 should be at the top of your shopping list. Take test rides of each and pick a variant with the battery capacity which suits your daily use case and also covers unexpected occurrences.

Autocar India

•6w

The River Indie is an impressive electric scooter and will serve you nicely. It is a large, spacious and comfortable machine that focuses on maximising utility rather than frilly features. Its 43 litre underseat storage is the largest on an electric scooter today and can swallow a lot of daily essentials like groceries, a backpack, a large helmet and also have space for the charger. The only thing to be mindful of is its size and weight, because if you are of a shorter stature, then the Indie's size could potentially prove to be too big for you. In that case, we would recommend you opt for one of these three - TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak and Ather Rizta. Make sure you take a test ride of these before you decide to go ahead with your purchase, so you can make an informed decision.

Autocar India

•6w

In the electric two-wheeler market, our top recommendations today are the TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak, Ather Rizta and Vida VX2 models. These come with the peace of mind of being backed by a larger manufacturer and are products that have proven their worth over the numerous years they've been on sale. Picking between them will boil down to which product you prefer and which company's touch point (both sales and service) is near your residence. Since your daily running isn't too high, pick a variant with a battery capacity around 3kWh which should be more than sufficient. We'd recommend a test ride of all products you shortlist before you make a decision.

Autocar India

•7w

Since you have a rather long daily commute, we'd recommend going with an electric scooter with a battery capacity of 3kWh or more. In that space, you have options like multiple variants of the TVS iQube and Bajaj Chetak models. Both are reliable, dependable, comfortable, practical and no-nonsense offerings that come from established companies. You can also look at the Ather Rizta, although in your budget, you'll probably only get the base S 2.9 variant, which has a slightly lower range than the other two, although it should still suffice for your needs. A test ride of these three is imperative before you make a decision.

Autocar India

•8w

Since you said you like the Ather 450 X but it's out of your budget, we'd recommend taking a look at the 450S. It loses out on some techy features and the more exciting Warp mode you'll get on the 450X, but the rest of the chassis remains the same. You also have the same 90kph top speed on both, and its Sport mode is pretty engaging too.However, for daily usage, we've found the Ather 450 models to be a tad sporty and cramped, so unless performance outweighs practicality for you, we'd steer you toward more practical options like the Rizta, Bajaj Chetak 35 models and the TVS iQube range. Since you've also ridden the River Indie, that could be a great option if practicality is your paramount requirement.You need to decide what matters the most to you, performance or practicality and comfort, and take a call accordingly.

Autocar India

•9w

All three options you have shortlisted are actually very well-rounded EVs and are frontrunners in the electric scooter market in terms of sales, long-term reliability and brand recall. Therefore, picking between them will boil down to personal preferences toward design, comfort, real-world range and features. The TVS iQube S and Bajaj Chetak 3501 are undoubtedly more VFM here because they come with larger battery packs, thus, longer distances before you need to charge them. You can easily expect a real-world range of over 100km, even when ridden quite aggressively, which the Ather Rizta 2.9 will not be able to match because it has a smaller battery pack. When it comes to boot space, it might seem like all three are evenly matched, but the real-world picture is slightly nuanced. To recap, the iQube S has 32 litres of underseat storage, whereas the Ather Rizta has 34 and the Bajaj Chetak has 35. Now, on paper, it's a negligible difference, but the TVS' boot is much shallower than the Bajaj and Ather scooters. It means you'll have to be smart with how you pack your belongings in it. Plus, an imported ECE-certified helmet will not fit inside the TVS, in case that is a consideration for you. When it comes to after-sales experience, all three are largely good to live with, although it will vary depending on where you're located.Take an exhaustive test ride of all three before you make a decision. All three are straightforward, practical, reliable EVs, so no matter which one you choose, it's likely you'll be happy with it.

Autocar India

•10w

If you are looking for the best comfort on a petrol scooter, the TVS Jupiter 110 and Suzuki Access are the best options. The Jupiter has 12-inch wheels at both ends, which will also help round off bigger bumps more nicely. It's also got a winged preload adjuster, which will easily help you adjust preload when carrying a passenger and luggage. If you are looking for something in the EV space, then you should look at the TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak, Vida VX2 Plus and Ather Rizta. These scooters have spacious riding positions, comfortable suspension setups and come from reputed manufacturers with widespread and proven service networks. Take a test ride of these scooters before you decide.

Autocar India

•14w

So far, there are no compelling electric motorcycles in your price bracket which would be preferred over established electric scooters, so we'd recommend sticking with scooters for your next purchase.Since your daily running appears to be roughly 10km, you can go with the base variants of the TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak and Ather Rizta models.These are the current frontrunners in our experience, as well as sales numbers and picking between them will boil down to which scooter you're more comfortable with and which one gives you the better after-sales experience. We'd recommend a test ride of all three before you choose.

Autocar India

•15w

Since you have a long daily run, getting an electric scooter would be advisable, as in the long-term, you'll save a good chunk of money in running expenses. In the EV space, you should look at models with a 3.5kWh battery or higher, considering your daily 60km run. Options we'd recommend taking a look at are the Ather Rizta, Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube as they come from reputed makes with a good reputation for reliability. While the Ather 450X is a fun scooter to ride, it's quite cramped and has stiff suspension, which won't be ideal for your long daily commute. Simple Energy has a very small dealer network across India, and the Ultra e-scooter is yet to prove itself in the market. So we'd advise sticking to more mainstream brands.