Electric scooters/motorcycles are in the top five options when considering affordable commuting options. From the office to local commutes or even city runabouts, riding an electric two-wheeler certainly offers peace of mind in terms of the money saved on fuel costs and repairs. However, there are a few things that you need to remember after buying an electric scooter.
Charging and Range
These two bits are interlinked. Once you have an electric scooter in your garage, it’ll need timely charging to be used without any range anxiety. And the best way to do so is to plug in the charger every day overnight. This way you are more than likely to have enough range to ride it throughout the day. Apart from that, public chargers can also come to your rescue since the infrastructure is developing and more stations are being set up. Brands like Ather and Ola have their fast chargers setup which makes for a good top-up option if need be.
Apart from timely recharging, you can also mitigate the discharge by altering your riding style. For example, the Ola S1 pro claims a 135km range in normal mode. But that’s only possible when you ride it at around 50-60kmph of maximum speed. Anything over that for a longer time could result in a maximum range of around 100km.. So, gentle throttle inputs followed by an economical top speed can help you save the battery charge. This reduces the time you’ll have to keep the vehicle plugged in as well as have enough range to get through the day.
Repair
If there’s a need to repair your electric scooter or motorcycle, it’ll most likely have to be done at the authorized dealership. Local garages may not be equipped with the necessary tech or tools needed to fix an EV. Be it the wiring harness, software bugs, or even mechanicals that affect the vehicle. Not to mention, consumables like brake pads, tyres, and more can likely be outsourced.
Water resistance
The current EVs are loaded with features that are supported by a multitude of sensors. From switching modes to CBS, touchscreen, buttons to toggle through the menu, side stand, and more. And these sensors can malfunction at times after coming in contact with water, be it from the rain or a pressure wash. In this case, blow-drying your switch cube gaps and more can be helpful. Or else, you can let the vehicle rest and the moisture would evaporate eventually.
