Simple One

Simple Energy has been trying to make its way in the market from quite some time and till now they claim they've sold 2500+ of their scooters. Now Simple is all set to expand their service network and production with their new generation e-scooters. We got a chance to ride it and here is the detailed review of what I felt while riding it and whether you should buy it or consider something else.

When you first look at the scooter another e-scooter just crosses your mind and we all know which. Simple One might look somewhat similar to Ather 450X, but still it holds a charm of itself with sharp lines and contrasting elements which makes it look sturdy and sporty. 

Simple told us that the design and elements of this scooter is inspired by the Indian Paradise Flycatcher bird, but only a true designer can find out the hidden bird in the scooter. 

The Simple One comes with features like Navigation, 4 Ride Modes, Park Assist, Regenerative Braking, Trip History, Statistics, Customizable Dash Themes, Find My Vehicle Feature, Rapid Brake Warning, Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), USB Charging Port and more. While most of them work fine, using the navigation isn’t the easiest. There’s a noticeable lag in the maps and that means if you end up taking a wrong turn, the maps will inform you about it after you’ve gone a good 50-100 metres in the wrong direction. Adding to the inconvenience are the small fonts. You’ll have to squint down for a second or two each time you want to read it and that makes it very, very hard and borderline dangerous to read on the go.   

One weird thing about the Simple One’s switchgear is the reverse button is placed where you usually have the starter button on usual petrol scooters. The starter button, on the other hand, is placed where you’d conventionally find the kill switch. In short, you might unintentionally end up putting the scooter in reverse mode when you want to start it, out of habit. While you will get used to it quickly, it can be a minor inconvenience in the beginning.

When it comes to a scooter, comfort and storage become the most important features. We expect a scooter to have good under-seat storage, a spacious footboard and maybe 1 or 2 cubby holes on the front apron. The Simple One comes with plenty of  underseat storage at 30 liters, with a decently sized floorboard as well. But it does not get even a single cubbyhole on the apron to store your phone or keys. While the underseat storage space is fairly impressive by itself, don’t forget, you might have to carry your charger which will eat a good amount of the available boot space.

I am 5 '7, almost the average Indian male height and for me riding the Simple was very comfortable. I had adequate seat space and the seat was fairly comfortable too. But if you are 5'10” or taller, then it might become a problem for you, as your knees might brush against the apron while riding. As for pillion space,  it is just about adequate, but not great. Thankfully the generous pillion footrests ensure that your pillion will sit in a very comfortable posture.

Suspension & Ride quality

Riding in the city means dealing with  Indian roads, and their own set of challenges - pot holes, bumps and other undulations. The Simple One’s suspension is set a bit on the stiffer side, but still it takes these bumps really well and makes the ride more comfortable.

The electric motor on this scooter generates peak power of 8.5kW and that feels really peppy, quick and agile. The scooter has 4 ride modes - Eco, Road, Dash and Sonic.  Eco and Road modes are primarily designed to maximise  range, but still don't feel slow by any means. The acceleration feels pretty brisk and once you get the hang of this scooter you will keep it in Dash or Sonic every time you ride it, because this scooter feels the most fun to ride in these modes. That said, there isn't much difference between these two modes other than top speed.

The Simple One has the ability to comfortably help the rider commute through city traffic, and neither the motor nor the rider tend to feel stressed even in the heaviest of traffic. The peppy motor not only works well in the city but on highways you'll have a fun-filled ride and a smile on your face when you can easily overtake 100-125cc bikes. And top speed of 105kmph is just cherry on top. 

While the Simple One’s acceleration feels swift, there is one slight issue. Every time you release the throttle, the scooter doesn’t cut the power for almost half a second. This is felt the most in the Sonid mode at higher speeds (after 50-60kmph). So while it won’t be much of an issue for your parents when they’re riding at lower speeds, it does feel slightly weird at higher speeds and Simple will need to sort this out as soon as possible.

The challenges of the city also includes magically appearing pedestrians which creates a situation of panic for a rider and a set of good grippy brakes becomes a major need but Simple disappoints us in this aspect. No matter how hard you pull the brake level, the front brake just won’t grab the disc and help the vehicle to come to a stop while the rear brake works just fine as well. It took me some time to get used to such a set of brakes but that made me ride with caution that I might not be able to stop the scooter in such a sudden situation.

While the Simple One’s low speed braking is just fine, the initial bite feels very inadequate the moment you cross 50-60kmph. The disc brakes feel like drums and they just don’t have the initial bite you’d expect from disc brakes. And that can feel a bit scary given the sheer performance this scooter has on offer. In short, the Simple’s brakes were arguably the most disappointing part of the scooter and they should’ve been a lot sharper. 

The Simple One is a compact and light scooter which makes it a fantastic handler. Be it squeezing the scooter through small gaps in the city or riding it spiritedly through some corners, it’s a lot of fun. And when you combine that with its grippy TVS Eurogrip tyres, it results in a scooter that will put a big smile on your face. Newer riders will appreciate how easy it is to ride the Simple, while more experienced, enthusiastic riders will love its great handling.

Simple Energy is offering good performance, loads of features, reasonable ride quality and sporty looks at a price of Rs 1,66,142 (ex-showroom Bengaluru), which makes it pretty good value for your money. 

The only thing is that Simple hasn’t sold a lot of the scooters and their dealership network is pretty small as well. So we’d advise you to just wait a bit, for Simple to expand their service centre and dealership network. That time will also reveal if the One has any inherent reliability issues. Once Simple is able to prove itself in those two departments, the Simple One will be a fantastic electric scooter to buy since it strikes a great balance between performance and practicality.