The TVS iQube is not only our pick of the current EV scooters, but it has also grown to be the second highest seller in the premium two-wheeler EV space. Our sister publication Autocar Professional has now learnt that TVS is developing a lower cost version for the Indian market.
EV sales numbers took a big hit in June 2023 after the FAME 2 subsidy was slashed by over 50 percent (depending on the scooter). With a much smaller subsidy, it no longer makes business sense to offer electric scooters with big batteries, especially if a competitive price tag is the priority. With that in mind, you can expect to see many of the EVs currently on sale start to pack smaller batteries – either as a separate lower variant or in general.
TVS is working on a lower cost version of its popular iQube and while details are scarce at the moment, some assumptions are safe to make. The TVS iQube electric scooter is already priced lower than its prime competition from the likes of Ather, Bajaj and Ola, so the easiest way to further bring costs down would be via the use of a smaller battery pack.
The current iQube line-up consists of the standard iQube and iQube S, both of which offer the same 3.04kWh battery. The yet-to-be-launched iQube ST with its much bigger 4.56kWh battery has been overdue for a long time, but given the new reduced subsidy, that scooter’s future is under question.
Since the battery pack is by far the most expensive component of an electric scooter, it stands to reason that TVS will reduce the size, but by how much remains to be seen. In our tests, the TVS iQube returned a range of 107.2km in Eco mode and 96km in Power mode.
Another area where TVS could save costs is in the features department. The iQube is a relatively simple electric scooter, but even in its base form it comes with a TFT display. This could be replaced with something simpler on the low-cost model.
There is no clear launch timeline yet for the more affordable TVS iQube, but the company has revealed the date for the launch of a more premium and sporty electric scooter. This e-scooter could be based on the TVS Creon concept shown at the 2018 Auto Expo.