EV start-up Simple Energy has announced that deliveries of its ONE electric scooter have been pushed back yet again, to the first quarter of 2023. This is now the third delay that Simple Energy has announced after its grand launch event on August 15, 2021. Promised deliveries were pushed initially from December 2021 to June 2022 and then from June to September.
Simple Energy says the reason for this latest delay in deliveries is the new battery safety guidelines that have been issued by the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH). The company says this delay will enable them to ensure that its ONE electric scooter complies with the new safety standards.
It is worth noting that the company cited safety reasons for its earlier delay that was announced in May 2022. At the time, the company stated, “Keeping in mind the safety standards and the recent incidents in the EV industry, Simple had taken a conscious call of deferring the deliveries of the ONE”. The company had attributed the first delay to supply chain issues.
When we rode the ONE in June this year, we reported that while the scooter had potential, it was still a bit rough around the edges and did not come across as being production-ready. Click here to read our review of the Simple Energy ONE.
Simple Energy ONE: background
The Simple Energy ONE electric scooter was launched at Rs 1.10 lakh (ex-showroom, excluding state subsidy). The ONE’s battery set-up comprises a fixed as well as removable component, and combined capacity is a considerable 4.8kWh, which is said to give it a real-world range of 203km in Eco mode. Powering the e-scooter is a motor that has a peak output of 8.5kW (continuous output is 4.5kW) and 72Nm of claimed torque. Whether the company can stick to its initial promised price after all this while remains to be seen.
Would you wait for the Simple Energy ONE or opt for one of its competitors? Let us know in the comments.