Okaya has been in the electronic component manufacturing industry for many years. But the company has finally entered the EV business. We’ve got our hands on Okaya’s first high-speed electric scooter, the Okaya Faast F4. It offers respectable range, and is priced moderately, but misses out on the feature front. So, is the feature trade-off worth the added range? We spend some time with the Faast F4 to see what it's all about, and figure if it's worth considering.
Before we get to riding, let’s talk about the scooter’s design. The electric scooter has a rather safe design, in that, it isn’t unique or ground breaking in any way, but is similar to what we’ve seen from other electric scooters in India. Not that it is a bad thing, but looks are subjective and we will let you be the judge of it.
The Okaya Faast F4 gets a twin-pod LED headlamp.
It gets a twin-pod LED headlamp with large LED DRL inserts, and the unit sits on the scooter’s apron, instead of the handlebar. The handlebar does house LED turn indicators, and likewise, the tail section also gets an LED taillight. Overall, the electric scooter has quite a sharp design, and even if you don’t love it, it’s likely that you won’t hate it either.
Overall, the Okaya Faast F4's design is quite sharp.
The electric scooter gets a backlit LCD display which offers read outs for estimated range, remaining battery charge, and more. Other than that, there aren’t any features on the electric scooter per se. On its website, Okaya has also said that the e-scooter will soon get Bluetooth connectivity and an app which shows vehicle data, but it hasn't been launched yet, and I will reserve my judgement on that. The overall fit and finish isn’t exactly premium, but it isn’t bad either.
The Okaya Faast F4 gets a small backlit LCD screen which offers basic read outs.
In terms of practicality, this scooter has its hits and misses. There's a decent storage space in the front apron. It also gets a charging port near the storage space for a quick top up on your smartphone. The floorboard is completely flat as well, so if you want to store a lot of luggage on it, it's going to be easy. However, one of the two batteries in the scooter is in the floorboard, which is why the floorboard is really high. So the seating position is a bit knees up, but it won’t be too uncomfortable, unless you’re above 6 feet tall.
The Okaya has a large and flat floorboard, but it is a bit taller, thanks to the battery housed in it.
The second battery of the scooter is housed under the seat. This battery is removable, but it can be charged only when it’s connected to the scooter. What’s also cause for concern is that the battery eats up almost the entire boot space, and with the battery in place, there’s only enough space under the seat to store some documents, and perhaps your wallet.
The Faast F4 gets a USB charging port, and a storage space integrated into the front apron.
The Okaya Faast F4 gets two 72V 30 Ah LFP batteries, which add to a combined capacity of 4.4 kWh. Okaya claims that this will return a range of up to 160 km on a full charge. While that figure maybe a stretch, I did manage to squeeze out 125 km on a single charge while riding in a mix of Eco & Sports modes, with 10% battery remaining. If driven optimally, a range of 140 km is quite achievable on the Okaya Faast F4.
The Okaya Faast F4 offers a real world range of about 140 km. The riding position a bit knees-up, takes some time getting used to.
To charge this battery pack from zero to full takes about 5-6 hours, but the portable charger supplied with the scooter is rather big & heavy, and there is no place to store it while travelling, as the under-seat storage is completely occupied.
The under-seat storage is completely occupied by the secondary battery pack, leaving room only for some documentation, and perhaps a wallet.
As all electric scooters go, the Faast F4 gets going quietly, and apart from a few thuds on the suspension while manoeuvring through potholes, you’ll hardly hear the e-scooter make any noise. It gets 3 riding modes - Eco, City, & Sports - which offer varying levels of performance, but the performance on the Eco mode isn’t as muted as I expected. It also gets a reversing mode which makes it easy to take out of narrow parking spots. It gets a BLDC hub motor, which can dash out a peak power of 2.5 kW (or 3.35 bhp). The peak output is low, but being an electric motor, the torque available from the word go fills in for the lack of power.
The scooter gets 3 riding modes - Eco, City, and Sports, and there's also a reverse mode.
I was happy riding the scooter in Eco mode all day long, and it’s only at the top end where you miss the performance, as the Eco mode will only take you to about 52 kmph. The electric scooter doesn’t offer a whole lot of entertaining performance even in the Sports mode. Overall, it's a scooter which likes being ridden in a leisurely and relaxed manner, and if your riding style matches that, you won't be complaining about the powertrain. One thing that found to be a bit intrusive though, was that every time you slightly brush the brakes, the e-scooter cuts all throttle. So if you have the habit to rest your fingers on the brake levers while riding, this might take some time to get used to.
The scooter rides in a more leisurely manner, and isn't performance oriented.
On the suspension front, it gets telescopic forks up front, and dual spring-loaded rear shocks. The front forks are a bit firm, and they send some vibrations and thuds up the handlebar, but the rear suspension is soft, making the ride comfortable on your back. I also rode with a pillion for a considerable distance, and despite both of us being on the heavier side, there wasn’t a significant drop in performance or range, as seen on some other electric scooters. On the braking front, the scooter gets 110 mm drum brakes on both ends, which aren't confidence inspiring, but they do the job. The brake levers are a tad spongy and don't offer much feedback, but not to the point where it's an issue.
The Faast F4's front suspension is a bit firm, but the rear suspension offers good comfort.
The Okaya Faast F4 is priced at Rs 1.09 lakh ex showroom. That puts it in the firing range of the Ola S1, and TVS iQube S. Now those premium scooters have a lot of features, but the Faast F4's advantage is that it offers much longer range. If the Okaya Faast F4 had some more features, and a more plush front suspension, it surely would've been a more rounded package and easy to recommend. But as it stands, it is still a decent choice for someone who is looking for an electric scooter with a great range figure, and don't mind missing out on the features front or the boot space.
