Scooters And One Wheels
Earth Vitality EV Glyde Electrical Scooter: First Journey Evaluation
The electric two-wheeler segment in India is constantly expanding, with new players entering the market every year. In 2021 alone, we saw the entry of electric scooters like Ola S1, Bounce Infinity E1 and Simple One. We also saw the advance of the Mumbai-based start-up Earth Energy EV into the electric two-wheeler segment. The company had announced it would launch three new electric vehicles in India, and now it’s finally finished with its first product – the Glyde electric scooter. We recently had the opportunity to briefly test the scooter and know what it is and how it drives.
The Glyde range is available in two versions – the slow Glyde SX with a top speed of 25 km / h and the high-speed Glyde SX +, which can reach up to 90 km / h. Both are electronically limited. The former also doesn’t require a driver’s license or registration to drive on Indian roads. The scooters are made locally at Earth Energy EV’s manufacturing facility in Vasai, Mumbai, and the company says it was able to achieve 98 percent of localization with the Glyde range. In fact, only the battery cells and the LCD panel for the instrument cluster are imported. While the cells for the SX + come from South Korea, the display unit and the cells for the SX trim are imported from China. Everything else was sourced locally in India.
Design and styling
Visually, the Glyde might not be called an attractive scooter in the conventional sense, but spend some time with it and you will grow fond of it. The beefy front apron has a lively design with strong lines and a large headlight unit equipped with halogen lights. In terms of build quality, however, we noticed several gaps in the panel and exposed wires, while the plastic quality was also below average.
Also read: Earth Energy EV introduces 3 electric two-wheelers in India
However, the models we run were pre-production units and Earth Energy EV says the vehicles that will be delivered to customers will have better workmanship, but the plastic quality will not change. The scooter also gets motorcycle-style indicators at the front, while the indicators are integrated into the taillight assembly at the rear.
The Gylde SX series also comes with a wide seat with comfortable and supple upholstery, along with a sold handle at the back. The scooter has 18 liters of under-seat storage, which is a decent size, and while some groceries, a small handbag, or a half-face helmet won’t be an issue, you can’t get a full-size helmet here. Believe us, we tried. In addition, there is no under-seat lighting. The mirrors are a bit small too, but they can be adjusted to get a good view.
Also Read: Earth Energy EV Receives Annual Demand For Over 37,000 Units From Distributors
Features and equipment
In terms of equipment, the scooter has a vertically positioned 5-inch LCD instrument display, but here, too, we were able to determine that the workmanship was not correct. The panels were slightly misaligned on these test bikes. However, the display itself is quite neat and offers a lot of information like speed, range, driving mode, temperature, battery status and more. You also get a dark mode option along with Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to pair your phone for notifications and turn-by-turn navigation. All these functions are controlled via the right switching device. In addition, for safety reasons, the menus are only accessible when the scooter is in a stationary position and the kill switch is activated.
The scooter also has a reverse function, and a long press on the starter button is enough to engage. As soon as reverse gear is engaged, this is indicated on the display together with a beep. Press the power button again to disable reverse mode. The left switching device has the standard buttons for passage light, high and low beam, indicators and horn.
Suspension tasks are taken over by telescopic front forks and two spring-loaded shock absorbers at the rear. Earth Energy also offers a 12-inch alloy wheel at the front and a 12-inch steel wheel at the rear, both with tubeless tires in the 90/90 sector. The Glyde scooters are also equipped with disc brakes at both ends.
Battery and charging option
Both the Glyde SX and the SX + are supplied with a 3.9 kWh lithium-ion battery, which is housed in the base plate of the scooter. The usable battery capacity is around 3.75 kWh in both cases. With the home charger provided, the battery can be fully charged in approx. 2.5 hours at a conventional 10A socket. Interestingly, Earth Energy EV will also provide customers with a special RFID tag that will be embedded in the key fob. This RFID tag must be attached to the reader installed in the charging cradle in order to activate the charger. This is to ensure that only the vehicle owner can use the charger.
Of course, the scooters also have a quick charge function that delivers 80 percent juice in just 40 minutes. These quick chargers will be placed at the dealer contact points of Earth Energy EV. The maximum range for the SX + is 100 km with a single charger, while the same for the SX is up to 150 km. This is mainly due to the fact that the latter’s top speed is limited to 25 km / h. In addition, the SX + has three riding modes – Eco, Ride and Pro, while the SX 2 – receives Eco and Pro. Official range figures for the various modes have yet to be announced.
Powertrain and handling
The scooters are driven by a specially developed belt-driven electric motor. In the SX +, the electric motor has an output of 4.2 kW, which is just under 6 hp in the brake. The torque, on the other hand, is a whopping 104 Nm, which is immediately available. The scooter accelerates quickly with the slightest throttle and reaches double-digit speeds in no time at all. Since we tested the scooter in the controlled environment of the Raymond test track, we could not test the top speed or the numbers from 0 to 60 km / h. So we reserve this for our road test review.
The scooter also offers great handling, and one reason for this is the base-mounted battery that helps maintain a low center of gravity. The scooter feels good even at higher speeds and gives you more confidence to push it around corners. The suspension is set a little softer and the ride was quite comfortable on the asphalt test track, but we would have to test the scooter under real conditions to get a more detailed analysis of the ride quality. The only point of criticism we have is the brakes, they could certainly use more bite and progression.
The SX gets a smaller motor that produces a peak power of 250W, which is only about 0.34 horsepower. However, the engine develops a good 74 Nm maximum torque, so that the acceleration is quite impressive with this one. In terms of handling, it is very similar to the SX +. While the Glyde SX + weighs around 113 kg, the SX weighs around 60 kg.
Price and judgment
Both the Glyde SX and the SX + are quite powerful scooters. Although they lack the pizazz and premium quality of competitors like the Ather 450X, TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak and even the Ola S1. However, this is intentional, says the company. Earth Energy EV wants to sell it as a utilitarian scooter, which is why more than 60 percent of pre-orders have been placed for the low-speed model.
State-Wise Ex Showroom Awards | Glyde SX | Glyde SX + |
---|---|---|
Maharashtra | 74,000 | 95,000 |
Gujarat | 73,000 | 97,000 |
Tamil Nadu | 78,000 | ₹ 1 lakh |
Karnataka | € 79,999 | € 98,175 |
Andhra Pradesh | € 79,900 | 97,000 |
Telangana | € 79,900 | 97,000 |
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With immediate effect, the Glyde SX and SX + will be sold in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and will be gradually expanded to other regions. While the slow Glyde SX costs 74,000 yen in India, the high-speed SX + costs around 95,000 yen (both from the showroom, Maharashtra). However, these are pre-production prices. The company says that after the FAME-2 subsidy is applied in Maharashtra, the SX + could cost as little as 68,000 yen, which will make it significantly cheaper than all of its competitors. Shipments of the scooter will begin in January 2022, so if you’re looking for an affordable, no-frills electric scooter for your city commute, the Glyde is definitely worth considering.
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