Click it and Unblock the Notifications
River Indie Review - Fun & Utility In A Funky New EV Guise
Bangalore-based EV startup River EV took the wraps off its first scooter, the Indie, earlier this year in March. The River Indie boasted a unique design and a wacky tagline dubbing it, the 'SUV of Scooters'.
Six months down the line, the River Indie is ready to hit the streets. So is the production-ready River Indie ready to live up to its advertising razzmatazz and that price tag of Rs 1.25 lakh (ex-showroom)? We got into the saddle of the River Indie and took it for a spin around Bengaluru.
River Indie Review: Design & Features - Ruggedly Unique
The River Indie's design is 'unique' to say the least. It looks unlike any other electric scooter around with its boxy lighting setup at both the front and the rear. At the front, the dual square LED headlights look like Wall-E's eyes and leave you staring at them for ages.
The front apron, no matter which of the three colour options you choose - Monsoon Blue, Summer Red and Spring Yellow - is finished in glossy black as is the front fender. Also seen is a set of slender turn signals.
The sides of the River Indie continue with the unique looks but add loads of utility to the overall package. The Indie rides on 14-inch alloy wheels which looks rather nice.
The Indie features a broad seat good for even the most sedentary and food-obsessed of us. Once seated you glance at a 6-inch display that tells you everything you need to know about the Indie and its state, from riding modes to speed to charge level.
With the long floorboard, the Indie allows even the tallest of desi riders to sit without bumping into those alloy handlebars. The seat height is low enough at 770mm, to not affect those on the other end of the height spectrum.
The sides feature tubular guard rails up front, which can double up as footrests in case the flat floorboard is being used as storage space or in case you love riding like a relaxed loon.
Speaking of storage, you get a 12-litre enclosed storage box on the front apron that also hosts the USB charging port. Under the seat is a positively gargantuan 43-litre storage area big for the big helmets and whatever else you can think of.
And if that isn't enough for you you can mount panniers to the lock and load mounts fitted to the rear flanks which when accessorised should be enough to get whatever you want across the city.
The rear section of the River Indie is dominated by the rectangular frosted glass LED brake light that sticks underneath the River logo. Underneath that sit the slight turn indicators and the reflector.
River Indie Review: Specs & Dimensions - Big In A Good Way
The River Indie sports a 1,365mm long wheelbase and offers 165mm of ground clearance and the ability to wade into water as deep as 300mm. The rider's seat sits 770mm above the ground and the floorboard measures 20 inches across the diagonal.
The River Indie sports a dual-cradle tubular steel frame setup suspended by a 32mm telescopic front fork and twin shock absorbers and a cast aluminium dual-sided swingarm at the rear.
The Indie as mentioned earlier rides on 14-inch alloy wheels that come wrapped in chunky 120-section tyres. Providing the braking power to the Indie are disc brakes aided by a combi-braking system. The front disc is a 240mm unit clamped by three-piston callipers while the rear is a 200m unit halted by a single calliper.
So why does the Indie need those discs? Well, the mid-mounted Mahle-sourced electric motor on the Indie whizzes out a peak output of 9bhp and 26Nm which is sent to the rear wheel via a belt drive setup.
The motor derives power from an IP67-rated 4kWh lithium-ion battery pack that uses NMC chemistry cells. River EV claims a true range of 120km (around 100km in real life) on a single charge and a charging time (0-80%) of 5 hours. No fast charging options are currently available. Both the battery and the Indie itself are offered with a 5-year/ 50,000km warranty.
River Indie Review: Riding Impressions: Quick With All The Utility
The River Indie is offered with three riding modes - Eco, Ride and Rush. In Eco mode, the top speed is limited to 55km/h. Switching to Ride mode means that the acceleration level is a lot higher while the top speed is rated at 90km/h.
In its craziest mode - Rush, the River Indie sprints from 0-40km/h in a claimed 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 90km/h.
In real life, the Indie offers linear and properly quick acceleration. If you want to have fun, Rush is the mode for you. For everything else, Ride is the mode to use. If you're running out of juice, get into Eco or find a charger.
On the move, the Indie is as stable as they come. Its large wheels (with the chunky tyres) and the soft suspension setup mean you glide over bumps and ruts with ease. However, that slightly longer wheelbase means it is also quite stable around the bends as well.
Stable is also how you can explain the braking performance of the River Indie as the discs bring this electric scooter to a halt quickly. However, we found the combi-braking system to be a bit finicky. Sometimes, if you asked for the rear brake, you would find the front clamping down faster than expected while the rear barely engaged.
River Indie Review: Final Thoughts & Verdict: All The Fun With Loads Of Utility
The River Indie mixes a unique design with big storage options and a range that can take you and all your shopping and extras around the city with ease.
However, a faster charging option and a slight tweak to the combi-braking system to make it behave a bit more normally would make the River Indie a rather easy EV to recommend for those looking for a sporty and utilitarian yet unique electric scooter.
Continue with Google