Bounce has created a major USP for the Infinity E1 with its buying options. Apart from offering the scooter with a battery and charger as standard for Rs 59,999, the Infinity E1 can be bought without the battery too for Rs 36,099 (both prices, ex-showroom Gujarat). The battery can be ‘rented’ out for a monthly subscription of Rs 1,249. Although the scooter is currently available only in Bangalore, it is expected to be launched in 10 cities by April 2022.
Now in comparison to the TVS Scooty Zest 110, which is the most affordable ICE scooter in the market, the E1 with a battery costs Rs 8,500 lesser. Not only that, but the E1 is also lighter, and riding it at its top speed would be a much smoother experience than the Zest 110 at 80kmph. However, with a range of roughly 220km, the Zest 110 can run 3 times longer than the E1 on a full tank.
Well, that is where the swappable battery pack comes in. The company has set up battery docks and aims to have one every 2km at pop stores, ATMs, and ironically, fuel stations as well. And the process is quite simple. Just get to the dock, enter a code, and exchange the used battery with a new one. This costs a nominal Rs 35 per swap, negates the charging time, and would eventually address the biggest concern with EVs which is range anxiety.
However, this is exclusively available for customers who choose to rent out the battery separately and just like the scooter, offered extensively in Bangalore as of now. Nonetheless, the brand claims that it is looking to set up 300 charging docks across all major cities in the country.
That said, the Infinity E1 as a scooter is quite likable. It offers good ride quality and comfort and a motor that performs decently in the city. The claimed range is decent, but we’ll only know for sure when we ride it extensively. And if we had to nitpick, smoother calibration between the brakes and throttle and slightly better build quality would make the Infinity E1 a better scooter to ride. But only if Bounce is able to fully capitalize on its charging docks and offer seamless dealer operations across the country would the E1 be a satisfactory electric two-wheeler to own.
Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi