TVS iQube Electric Review
Bike Tested: TVS iQube Electric; Road Test No. 1183; Test Location: TVS Test Track, Hosur
Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 1,15,000/-
The iQube Electric is the first electric scooter from Indian manufacturer TVS
Almost 2 years back, we got a chance to experience an electric scooter in Bangalore and we were quite impressed. There was another instance last year in Delhi that we got to ride an electric motorcycle. So we knew what to expect from the 2-wheelers coming out in this electric revolution. TVS had shown the Qube concept almost 8 years back and they are finally ready with their first electric 2-wheeler, the iQube Electric. I got a chance to experience it at the TVS test track in Hosur and here is how it went.
Motor Quest: TVS had showcased the TVS Qube, an electric scooter concept back in 2012 Auto Expo. After 8 years as the electric revolution kicked-in, TVS launched its first electric scooter in the Indian market. It is currently limited to just Bangalore city in India with just 10 dealerships as of now.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/49638692926/[/flickr]
Boxy design but the flowing lines make it look like a scooter
Styling – If you have seen Star Wars then you would definitely say that the iQube has quite some resemblance with the R2D2 character. The design isn’t modern, it is rather robotic, flat and has a boxy essence all over. With a quick look, one could even say it has those lines similar to the older design of the TVS Jupiter. The cycle parts like the alloys, disc brake and suspension seem to be taken from its siblings too. While the boxy design continues for the LED headlight, indicators and the tail light too, the LED DRL is the one that stands out. The iQube is available in just white colour while the body panels cover the whole scooter to a great extent with minimal use of black plastic.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/49638166123/[/flickr]
5-inch digital console displays a ton of data, this is the idle-mode screen
Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – The instrument cluster is the same design as we saw on the NTorq but the LCD is completely new. It displays a lot more details like the range, speedometer, battery percentage, trip details, riding mode and a clock too. The initial screen when you turn on the scooter displays two vital pieces of information – the battery percentage and basic instructions on how to start the scooter. It also displays regenerative braking while riding and as it has Bluetooth it can connect to your smartphone and display navigation data while also display call and message alerts.
[flickr size=”center” float=”medium”]http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorbeam/49638968017/[/flickr]
This switchgear can do a lot while it has haptic feedback too
The switchgear quality is actually very good with a piano black finish on the switches with grey cover inserts. The right switchgear has a park-assist switch, hazard light switch and a mode switch which is different from normal scooters. The mode switch is also the starter switch while it can also be used to change between the two riding modes – Economy and Power. Tthe left side unit is similar to the ones seen on other TVS scooters. With the park-assist switch, one can get into the park-assist mode and move the scooter in reverse for easy convenience of parking. It also has geofencing which aids in limiting the distance till which the scooter can be ridden.
