TVS Orbiter Vs Ather EL01: Today Vs Tomorrow

The sub-Rs 1 lakh electric scooter space is heating up. TVS just recently launched its most affordable electric scooter - the Orbiter. Ather isn’t too far behind as it just unveiled the EL01 concept, based on the EL platform designed for affordability in mind. Here’s how the two stack up against each other:

Price

The Orbiter is priced at Rs 99,900 (ex-showroom Bengaluru), making it the most accessible scooter in the brand’s EV lineup. The Ather EL01 is still a concept, but its production version is expected to launch at just under Rs 1 lakh, possibly by March 2026. With Battery-as-a-Service options, the effective starting price could be a lot lower - perhaps around Rs 50-60,000.

Design

The TVS Orbiter carries a boxy yet funky and futuristic look with a handlebar-mounted headlight, thin and slim DRL strip across the apron, tall visor, flat single-piece seat, and is offered in 6 colour options: Stellar Silver, Cosmic Titanium, Martian Copper, Lunar Grey, Stratos Blue, Neon Sunburst.

The Ather takes the typical family scooter approach with a relatively simpler design. It kind of reminds us of the TVS Jupiter 110 in many ways, especially the overall body lines, front DRL placement, and the tail light. While the styling is more understated, the neon yellow really brings out the funk in the EL01.

Battery And Performance

The Orbiter gets a 3.1kWh battery, 2.1kW hub-mounted motor, 158km IDC (Indian Driving Cycle) claimed range, 68kmph top speed, and a 0-80% charge time of just over 4 hours with the 650W charger.

Ather hasn’t shared exact figures for the EL01, but the EL platform can support battery packs ranging from 2kWh to 5kWh. The EL01 is expected to balance usable range with city-friendly performance. Its battery pack is floorboard mounted, whereas the motor is located on the swingarm.

Underpinnings

The TVS scooter gets a 14-inch front wheel and 12-inch rear, telescopic fork, twin shocks, drum brakes at both ends with combined braking, 112kg kerb weight, 169mm ground clearance, and 34 litres of underseat storage.

As of now we only know that the EL01 uses a modular unibody tubular steel frame, and interestingly has the same wheel sizes as the Orbiter. It also gets a telescopic fork but the rear comes with a single shock absorber. The underpinnings will vary on other models based on the same platform.

Features

The TVS electric scooter comes with a 5.5-inch colour LCD console, Bluetooth connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation, cruise control, regenerative braking, reverse mode, hill-hold assist, OTA updates and crash/fall alerts. 

The EL01 has a more premium-looking TFT screen, and will also likely get features like connectivity, full-fledged navigation, ride modes, and more. But over and above that, it’ll get an onboard charger - so you don’t have to worry about carrying a big and heavy portable charger in the boot. It will also get Ather's new smart braking tech that uses regen and conventional brakes together - which they claim will be more effective and increase brake pad life.

BikeDekho Says

The TVS Orbiter electric scooter is available right now, offers an impressive claimed range and practical features at an affordable price. It’s designed as an everyday family scooter that feels simple but complete.

The Ather EL01, meanwhile, is still almost a year away. However, it promises more features, and the brand plans to price it competitively. The Orbiter represents the here-and-the-now of affordable EVs, while the EL01 gives us a glimpse of the next chapter.