As previously promised, Bengaluru-based electric vehicle (EV) startup Simple Energy today revealed the price for its second offering, named the Dot One. The introductory price of the scooter is Rs 1 lakh – a full Rs 58,000 less than its maiden product, the Simple One. However, before you rush to grab a cheque, here’s the catch – this introductory price is only valid for residents of Bengaluru who have already placed a booking for the Simple One. The start-up says it will reveal a different – read higher – price for other prospective buyers of the Dot One, early next year, which is also when it will start accepting fresh bookings.
Also Read: Simple Energy Announces Second E-Scooter – But Where Is The First?
Unlike the One, which is equipped with a fixed as well as a removable battery (totaling 5 kWh), the Dot One does away with the removable pack, which leaves it with a 3.7 kWh battery. This impacts the weight – the Dot One is about 11 kg lighter – along with liberating more underseat storage (up from 30 litres to 35 litres) and affecting the range. Simple says the certified range for the Dot One is up to 151 kilometres, down significantly from the One’s 212 kilometres.
The Dot One will do away with the removable battery (right) seen on the One.
However, what’s more interesting is aside from this notable change, the Dot One is virtually identical to the One. It has the same design and styling, all-LED lighting, the same permanent magnet motor with a peak output of 8.5 kW and 72 Nm, 0-40 kmph time of 2.77 seconds, 105 kmph top speed, four ride modes, 12-inch alloys, disc brakes at either end and also the same 7.0-inch touchscreen dashboard as the One. To put things into perspective, the most affordable model from Ola Electric – the largest player in the electric two-wheeler market at present – to be equipped with a touchscreen dash is the S1 Air, which costs Rs 1.20 lakh (ex-showroom), and also has a less powerful 6 kW hub motor.
Also Read: Simple Energy Targets Deliveries Of 100 One E-Scooters In June
With a bundled 750-watt charger, Simple says even the Dot One’s 0-80 per cent charge time is the same as that of the One (3 hours, 47 minutes). Battery warranty is capped at 3 years or 30,000 kilometres, while charger warranty is 1 year or 10,000 kilometres.
Design and styling-wise, the Dot One is identical to the One, and will also be available in the same paint schemes.
The decision to presently limit bookings to residents of Bengaluru who have already pre-booked the One appears to be encouraging prospective customers to voluntarily change their booking and opt for the Dot One instead. And it’s unclear what the future looks like for the flagship Simple One, with only a handful of units reaching customers so far. An emailed query to Simple Energy remained unanswered at the time of this story being published.
Also Read: Simple One Electric Scooter Price Hiked; Deliveries Begin June 6
When asked by carandbike last month about why so few scooters have rolled off the production line so far, a Simple Energy spokesperson said, “Regarding deliveries and sales, it's important to note that this was attributed to a comprehensive pilot program aimed at evaluating real-world scenarios and potential user-related challenges. Such assessments are a standard practice to ensure the utmost quality and customer satisfaction.”
In response to a set of questions shared in November, Simple had confirmed “approximately 20 per cent” of pre-orders stood cancelled, leaving it with “around 80,000 to 85,000 scooters” to deliver and that it would significantly scale up our production efforts starting December. However, the figure of total Simple Energy scooters sold till date still stands at a measly 37 units, as per the latest registration data on the VAHAN portal.
The start-up’s plant in Shoolagiri, Tamil Nadu, is said to have an installed capacity of 25,000 units a month, but it remains to be seen how long Simple Energy takes to deliver the heavily-delayed One e-scooter, even as it switches focus to delivering an even more affordable model – with the delivery timeline even for the latter not being confirmed at this time.
