5 reasons why EV 2-wheelers excel over petrol-engine vehicles

Here are five such technical advantages that give EVs an edge over ICE vehicles:

Ather 450x with a large digital console with support for touch input. (Image credit: Ather)

Large digital instrument console

If you see a scooter on the Indian road with a big and colourful digital instrument console that almost looks like a tablet, then it could be most likely an EV. Most popular electric scooters come with a large digital instrument console that can do a lot more than conventional analogue consoles, which are mostly used for showing speed and fuel capacity.

The large digital consoles on EVs offer many additional capabilities, such as the ability to use navigation on the go, change riding mode, real-time range indicator, and even control music (at least on EVs with built-in speakers). Digital LCD screens also make the EVs look modern and futuristic and some even offer touchscreen capability.  Ather 450x, Ola S1 Pro, and TVS iQube are some of the scooters in the market that come with large digital consoles.

Ola S1 Pro series supports music playback while the scooter is on the go. (Image credit: Ola)

Speakers for music playback

A lot of recently launched EVs also include a pair of speakers that let users stream music on the go. In some electric vehicles, these speakers can also be used to mimic engine sound, and they are powered by the primary battery on the vehicle. Ola S1, Ola S1 Pro, and even the Revolt RV400 (e-bike) are some popular EVs with built-in speakers.

Even the affordable Bounce Infinity e.1 has an integrated SIM card. (Image credit: Bounce)

Built-in SIM card

Most modern EVs are always-connected devices featuring a 4G SIM card and in most cases. And, users need not pay for the data. Having a SIM card allows users to track the real-time location of the vehicle (without requiring additional hardware), and it also helps them to set up features like geo-fencing, which allows the owner to restrict the scooter to a certain geographical location. One can get this feature on Ather 450x, Ola S1 series and even the affordable Bounce Infinity e.1.

Ola S1 Pro has already received two major OS upgrades and is currently running on moveOS 3. (Image credit: Ola)

Software updates to add new features

EVs are now more like smartphones rather than vehicles. With a built-in operating system, brands can now add new features, fix bugs, and even improve battery life by optimising the battery management system through a software patch. Brands like Ather and Ola have introduced a lot of new features with software updates, and with the built-in SIM card, the vehicles can be updated anytime, anywhere. However, in some vehicles, only the service center can update the firmware.

Ather app on an iPhone. (Image credit: Ather)

Support for app

While there are a few ICE vehicles that come with app support, implementation of the same is a lot better on EVs. With an app, users can start the vehicle, stop the vehicle, monitor battery percentage, and check the status of the vehicle. In some EVs, having an app is like carrying a digital key. Again, most common EVs such as Ather 450x and the Ola do come with app support for both Android and iOS devices.