Exploring the 5 Key Advantages of Electric 2-Wheelers over Petrol-Engine Vehicles
Electric vehicles (EVs) are hailed as the future of transportation. Battery-powered vehicles, ranging from two-wheelers to large trucks, are gradually but steadily replacing vehicles powered by internal combustion engines (ICE). Scooters are the fastest-growing EVs in India’s consumer mobility segment.
EVs have two major advantages
- lower maintenance and
- operating costs
However, there are numerous technical advantages to EVs that set them apart from their ICE counterparts, particularly in the Rs 1,50,000 price range.
Large digital instrumentation
If you see a scooter on the road in India with a large and colorful digital instrument console that resembles a tablet, it is most likely an EV. The majority of popular electric scooters include a large digital instrument console that can do far more than traditional analog consoles, which are mostly used to display speed and fuel capacity.
The large digital consoles on EVs provide many extra features, such as the ability to use navigation while driving, change riding mode, see a real-time range indicator, and even control music (at least on EVs with built-in speakers). Digital LCD screens also give EVs a modern and futuristic appearance, and some even have touchscreen capabilities. Some of the scooters on the market with large digital consoles include the Ather 450x, Ola S1 Pro, and TVS iQube.
SIM card integrated
Most modern EVs are always-connected devices that include a 4G SIM card. Furthermore, users are not required to pay for the data. A SIM card enables users to track the real-time location of the vehicle (without the need for additional hardware), as well as set up features such as geo-fencing, which allows the owner to restrict the scooter to a specific geographical location. This feature is available on the Ather 450x, the Ola S1 series, and even the low-cost Bounce Infinity e.1.
Updates to software to add new features
EVs are now more like smartphones than automobiles. Brands can now add new features, fix bugs, and even improve battery life by optimizing the battery management system via a software patch with a built-in operating system. With software updates, brands such as Ather and Ola have introduced a slew of new features, and the vehicles can be updated at any time, from anywhere, thanks to the built-in SIM card. However, only the service center can update the firmware in some vehicles.
Support for the app
While a few ICE vehicles have app support, EVs have a much better implementation of the same. Users can use an app to start, stop, monitor battery percentage, and check the status of the vehicle. Having an app in some EVs is akin to carrying a digital key. Again, the most popular EVs, such as the Ather 450x and the Ola, include app support for both Android and iOS devices.
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Content Credit: THE INDIAN EXPRESS