At the price of Rs 1.25 lakhs, the River Indie is one of the most affordable electric scooters in its class
River, a Bengaluru-based EV start-up has launched a new electric scooter that epitomises practicality and is referred to as the “SUV of electric scooters”. Comparing the Indie to other EV scooters on our market, it ranks far higher in terms of practicality. For a better POV, this EV has two storage compartments, which have about 55 L of storage combined!
While River Indie excels in terms of practicality, will it be enough to compete against the current rivals in the market..? Let’s take a deeper look at how the ‘River Indie vs rivals’ EV comparison would look like.
| River Indie | Ola S1 Pro | Ather 450X | TVS iQube S | Bajaj Chetak | Vida V1 Pro | |
| Peak motor output | 6.7kW | 8.5kW | 6.2kW | 4.4kW | 4.2kW | 6kW |
| Continuous motor output | NA | 5.5kW | 3.3kW | 3kW | 4kW | 3.9kW |
| Torque | 26 Nm | 58 Nm | 26 Nm | 33 Nm | 20 Nm | 25 Nm |
| Top speed | 90 kmph | 116 kmph | 90 kmph | 78 kmph | 69 kmph | 80 kmph |
| Battery capacity | 4 kWh | 4 kWh | 3.7 kWh | 3.04 kWh | 2.88 kWh | 3.94 kWh |
| Claimed range (ARAI/real-world) | 120 km (real-world) | 181 km (ARAI) | 146 km/105 km | 100 km (ARAI) | 90 km (ARAI) | 165 km/95 km |
| Charging time | 0-80% in 5 hrs | 0-100% in 6hr30min | 0-80% in 4hr30min | 0-80% in 4hr30min | 0-100% in 4hr | 0-80% in 5hr55min |
As we can see, the River Indie has the biggest battery among these, along with Ola S1 Pro – a 4kWh battery. It is capable of delivering a decent motor output of 6.7 kW, while the Ola EV surpasses every other electric scooter in this list with 8.5 kW on offer. The Indie also puts out a peak torque of 26 Nm, only an average figure. Despite being the heaviest scooter in this list, the River electric scooter is capable of reaching speeds of up to 90 kmph, with a 120km real-world range. It takes about 5 hours to charge the battery from 0-80%. You have to keep in mind that Ather, Vida and Ola are the only ones which support fast charging.
ALSO READ: Gen 3 Ather 450X Review: Major Leap Up?
| River Indie | Ola S1 Pro | Ather 450X | TVS iQube S | Bajaj Chetak | Vida V1 Pro | |
| Wheelbase | 1365mm | 1359mm | 1295mm | 1301mm | 1330mm | 1301mm |
| Seat height | 770mm | 792mm | 780mm | 770mm | 762mm | 780mm |
| Ground clearance | 165mm | 165mm | 153mm | 157mm | 160mm | 155mm |
| Weight | 135 kg (approx.) | 125 kg | 111.6 kg | 118.8 kg | 133 kg | 125 kg |
| Suspension (f/r) | Telescopic fork/Twin shock absorbers | Single fork/Monoshock | Telescopic fork/Monoshock | Telescopic fork/Twin shock absorbers | Leading link/Monoshock | Telescopic fork/Monoshock |
| Brakes (f/r) | 240mm disc/200mm disc | 220mm disc/180mm disc | 200mm disc/190mm disc | 220mm disc/130mm drum | 200mm disc/130mm drum | 190mm disc/130mm drum |
| Tyres (f/r) | 120/70-14/120/70-14 | 110/70-R12/110/70-R12 | 90/90-12 / 100/80-12 | 90/90-12 / 90/90-12 | 90/90-12 / 90/90-12 | 90/90-12 / 100/80-12 |
| Boot space | 43 L | 36 L | 22 L | 17 L | 18 L | 26 L |
ALSO READ: 2022 TVS iQube S Review: ‘Improved To Perfection!’
River Indie is being called the “SUV of electric scooters” for a reason. It has nearly unlimited practical features along with never-heard-before storage capacity. With a boot capacity of 43 L, the Indie is already at the top of the list in terms of boot space. But there is also a 12 L lockable glovebox storage in the front, making 55 L of combined storage space! Indie and the TVS iQube are the only scooters that have twin shock absorbers in the rear, while all the others offer rear Monoshock. The big Indie weighs 135kg, the heaviest in the gang. While some riders will see this as a possible issue, the seat height of the EV is only 770mm, making it easier for riders of short stature to plant their foot on the ground comfortably. The wheels used in the Indie are 14 inchers and also use 120-section tyres in the front and the rear.
River Indie | Ola S1 Pro | Ather 450X | TVS iQube S | Bajaj Chetak | Vida V1 Pro | |
| Price | Rs 1.25 lakh | Rs 1.3 lakh | Rs 1.58 lakh | Rs 1.22 lakh | Rs 1.52 lakh | Rs 1.59 lakh |
At an introductory price of Rs 1.25 lakhs, the River Indie is one of the most affordable electric scooters in the market. These prices might vary in the future. The Indie focuses more on the practicality side, which lures a different set of customers.
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