Finding out the good and not-so-good bits about the TVS family e-scooter
Electric scooters have to look futuristic and wacky. Well, TVS might have missed the brief when it came to the iQube S as it looks fairly plain jane. But is this humble approach to electric mobility actually a better option for your needs? Here are the positives and negatives of getting an iQube into your life.
The best bit about the iQube is what you see is what you get. Or at least almost what you get. On a full charge, the dash usually shows 105 km of range in Eco, and you will get 100 km no fuss. And the performance doesn’t dip dramatically even when you are running on the last percentage of battery.
Never does the iQube feel out of breath in Eco mode. Commuting in the city is done in a breezy manner. It has enough juice to keep pace with traffic up to 45 kmph and can even execute quick overtakes. And if you want a bit more zip, there’s Power mode to help you get past the really annoying rolling obstacles.
Smooth like butter, the iQube’s mushy suspension just gobbles up any road imperfections with finesse. Be it riding solo or two up, never does the iQube get flustered. In fact, it just helps the rider stay cool and collected even over the sharpest of thuds.
Flat seat, nicely placed bars and a wide floor, perfect for a comfy stroll through the city. On long commutes, you will feel the seat to be a bit too soft. But besides that, there are no qualms here.
The iQube doesn’t support a boost charge nor has TVS set up charging infrastructure for the scooter in the cities it sells the e-scooter. So, in case you can’t regularly charge your iQube at home, you will have to rely on public charging infrastructure providers which are a little pricey, or make a friend with a cafe owner who will let you charge your scooter in exchange for grub, which could also get pricey.
With you having to carry the charger at all times on the iQube, the storage space on offer is eaten up massively. It wasn’t the largest to begin with and hence, scrounging for more underseat square footage is a futile matter.
A smartphone app for geofencing, turn-by-turn navigation and crash or fall alert settings are the only key modern connectivity features that you get on the iQube. LED lighting all around is appreciated but the conservative approach means the brochure isn’t as comprehensive.
TVS has priced the iQube S well. At Rs 1.40 lakh (ex-showroom Bengaluru), the iQube offers great bang for buck. With the FAME-II subsidies ceasing to exist from March 31, we expect the pricing to go up not only for the iQube but all EVs. However, the e-scooter shall still remain a great city runabout.
Sure, it isn’t the most stylish, most powerful or the most feature packed e-scooter that money can buy. If you want something like that, you can always checkout options from Ather and Ola. However, what this electric scooter offers is a peaceful and no nonsense approach to commuting that every single member of the family can enjoy. And thus, making it a very easy recommendation.
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