BattRE Storie Road Test Review

Electric scooters are generally fun to ride and with the loads of torque they provide, they are a hoot when it comes to riding in the city. After having the opportunity to ride the BattRE Storie for a few days, the story it tells is completely different when compared to other electric two-wheelers altogether.  

Design and Build Quality

On the first glance, the design of the  BattRE Storie reminds you of Vespa scooters. The vintage styling has some modern bits in the form of an LED DRL which makes the scooter quite stylish. The scooter is quite compact in size but looks proportionate. 

The build quality in the BattRE Storie is not up to the mark of the modern electric scooters. The switches are hard to press, especially the turn indicator which requires quite some effort as is the case with the side stand. The build quality feels like a bit of an afterthought when it comes to this scooter, but that’s only when you inspect it up close. From a distance, the Storie actually does look quite good and is available in 11 attractive colours - Midnight Black, Canary Red, Ice Blue, Stormy Grey, Starlight Blue, Pearl White, Ecru Yellow, Blazing Bronze, Hunter Green, Cosmic Blue and Gunmetal Black . 

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Battery, Range & Performance

The BattRE Storie gets a 3.1kWh removable battery pack which is paired with an electric motor that makes 2kW of peak power. Yes that is low and you will feel the lack of power when you open the throttle to overtake. The scooter does come close to the claimed top-speed of 65kmph but that takes time which means you have to plan your overtakes well in advance. The three riding modes include Eco, Power and Sport and can be switched while on the go but you will hardly notice any difference in the first two modes. The Eco and Power modes are quite slow but do provide the most amount of range while the Sport mode should be your go-to choice as even if the range drops, the performance is something which you could live with in the city. 

As you open the throttle, you will feel quite some lag as the scooter jerks forward after a second. The lag can be so pronounced when starting from a standstill, that the throttle almost feels binary - on or off - with almost no middle ground. The biggest challenge the scooter faces are the inclines. Even if you’re carrying a bit of speed - say 5-10kmph, the Storie climbs most inclines without too much trouble, regardless of what mode you’re in. But try to start from a standstill on a slope, and that is where the real struggle begins. The scooter will refuse to climb up the incline and you will have to use your legs to push the scooter up the slope and just hope that no one is behind you. 

Handling, Ride Quality and Brakes

The BattRE Storie’s handling is quite nice in the city on the smoothest of roads. But the suspension is quite stiff and under- damped which means you will be bouncing on the seat when you try going through potholes or large bumps. The small 10-inch wheels with MRF tyres do not inspire much confidence, and shockingly, the rear tyre on our test scooter was fitted the other way round. 

The feel from the brakes is quite poor and you will have to squeeze the front brake all the way to bring the scooter to a halt. The rear brake is very important when it comes to stopping the scooter as the front just won't be enough, but there is a small caveat. Whenever you press the rear brake, the scooter engages regen which cuts off power to the motor, this makes it very hard to maneuver at slow speeds, or catch up to traffic if you slow down. 

Comfort

Despite its small stature, the BattRE is quite comfortable for my 6-foot frame. The handlebar is nice and upright which gives you an upright riding position, there is a good amount of space on the floorboard to keep your feet and some luggage. But there is almost no underseat storage thanks to the removable battery pack taking up quite some space. And if you carry the charger with you, then forget about storing anything else. The cushioning on the seat is quite thin and you do feel the plastic underneath it flexing whenever you go over a speedbump. 

Features

The BattRE Storie comes with an LCD instrument cluster which provides basic information such as your speed, state of charge, the mode you are in and the range available in that mode. The scooter does come with a dedicated reverse switch which is useful while reversing out of a parking spot. 

Verdict

The BattRE Stories is quite hard to recommend and especially at the price tag it comes with which starts from Rs 1,14,999 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The build quality, ride and handling, the features it provides and the performance is really not up to the par with its competitors. For the same price (or lower), you could easily buy the Bajaj Chetak, Ather 450S, TVS iQube or the Vida V2, which offer much better build quality and performance.