There is no denying that electric vehicles are the way forward. A lot many electric scooters have been launched in India lately. Major players in the Electric scooter segment currently are Hero Electric, Ather, 22KYMCO, Okinawa and Ampere. Bajaj has also unveiled their very first electric scooter, the Chetak.
We recently had the Ampere Zeal electric scooter with us for review and this was infact, our very first feel of an electric scooter. The Ampere brand comes from Greaves Cotton which acquired the ten year old Coimbatore-based Ampere Electric Scooter Company a few years back. The Ampere Zeal Electric Scooter is their firstst high speed FAME-II Lithium Ion powered e-scooter. We rode the Ampere Zeal to understand the real logic behind it and also to let you know if investing in an electric scooter is a good idea.
Looks “ Design “ Styling
The Ampere Zeal looks like a conventional scooter built with fibre body panels. The one we rode came in a nice dual tone shade of red and black. The headlight assembly is placed in the front apron, while the clear lens turn indicators are placed on the handle panel. The headlight comes with white DRL that always remains ‘on’, and has a bright headlight unit powered by a halogen bulb. The side styling is sharp and flat with an angular upswept foot board and flowing side panels with a flat seat. The seat is also in dual tone shade to go with the body styling. The rear is styled with a flushed tail lamp and integrated turn lights, along with a flat silver backrest. Foldable foot rest and side step is also part of the package on the Zeal. The interesting part on the Zeal is its all-digital instrument cluster that comes with a soft blue backlight on it. The cluster shows the current battery voltage, speedometer, battery charge bars, ride mode (1 is Eco, 2 is Speed). You also have a small stop notification that glows if you accelerate with the brakes pressed. The switchgear on the Zeal is pretty simple with buttons for the headlight, turn indicators and two switches for the horn on either sides as Electric scooters don’t come with a self start button, they turn on instantly when the key switch is turned on. There is loads of storage space under the seat as there is no fuel tank in place, also some neat cubby storage space on the inside of the front body panel.
Electricals “ Motor “ Battery
The Ampere Zeal comes powered with an 60 volts 30 Amps lithium Ion battery and powering the rear wheel is the 1200 watts motor. The peak power of the Zeal is 2 kW and the ride range is rated at 75kms in a single full charge while it takes around 5 hours for a full charge. The unique feature here is that the battery on the Ampere Zeal is removable which means you can pop it out and carry it home if needed for a charge, or if you have a spare battery you can remove the discharged one and put it on charge while you plug in the back-up battery and you need not wait.
On the move yes, it does take around 10-15 minutes to get used to riding a Electric scooter. There is no exhaust note or engine noise; nor are there any vibrations and you need to get used to the instant pickup that the electric motor generates. The ride quality is excellent thanks to the telescopic suspension in the front and single coil spring setup at the rear. The Zeal is around 25-30kgs lighter than a regular combustion engine scooter and this really helps in traffic and while riding it on busy crowded roads. The overall fun factor is immense and people do come up to you asking about the e-scooter, with some also admiring it.
As mentioned you have two ride modes to choose from “ 1 Eco mode, 2 Speed mode. We rode on the Eco mode mostly, and it was more than sufficient for our daily commute. We did shift to the Speed mode on highways and the electric motor gets highly responsive and speed is achieved almost instantly. The Zeal climbed the flyovers and inclines with brilliant ease and without any spot of bother. It also did a good job in the braking department, using the Combi Braking system that it has.
Performance is extremely satisfactory combined with an ergonomic ride feel. The build quality is also good, not forgetting the three years’ warranty that the lithium Ion battery comes with. You don’t even need to constantly visit your mechanic for the regular maintenance that a regular scooter needs, no periodic air filters and carburettor service needed. Ampere claims a yearly savings of nearly Rs. 60,000 with the Zeal over conventional scooter and you also have a backing of 350 dealers and service centres currently which by December 2019 would be a extended to around 750 dealers and service centres. Would I buy one? Yes, I surely would get one for myself. The government is also giving a subsidy of around Rs. 18,000 on the Zeal thanks to the FAME-II which brings the Ampere Zeal price to Rs. 73,000.
