TVS X Electric

TVS Motor Company’s flagship electric two-wheeler is named the TVS X. The e-scooter has been launched at an introductory price of Rs 2.50 lakh (ex-showroom), making it the priciest electric scooter on sale in India by a huge margin. At this price, the scooter is not eligible for the central government’s FAME-II subsidy, or any state subsidies. A portable 950-watt charger will add Rs 16,275 to the scooter’s price, and buyers will also have the option to get a 3 kW home charger at added cost. Deliveries of the TVS X will begin across 15 cities in December, with bookings now open.

The TVS X is based on the company’s ‘born electric’ Xleton platform. It utilises an aluminium alloy frame which is said to offer 2.5 times increased stiffness than regular scooter frames. The X has a telescopic fork up front and an offset rear monoshock, with the single-sided swing arm exposing the black-painted wheel on one side. The scooter rides on 12-inch alloy wheels shod in 100/80- front and 110/80-section rear tyres. Seat height is rated at a friendly 770 mm, while ground clearance is 175 mm and wheelbase is 1,285 mm. Underseat storage is a mere 19 litres.

From a styling point of view, the TVS X derives heavy influence from the Creon concept showcased at the 2018 Auto Expo. With its vertically-stacked four-cube LED headlights, the X has an unmistakable light signature, with sequential turn indicators flanking the headlight assembly, and two daytime running light units positioned lower down. The X also benefits from a multi-tone paintjob, combining the base colour with panels bearing a black and silver finish, and the sub frame and brake callipers painted blue.

With a focus on performance, TVS has revealed the X will go from 0 to 40 kmph in just 2.6 seconds, 0 to 60 kmph in 4.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 105 kmph. The permanent magnet mid-drive motor – which features ram-air cooling – produces a continuous output of 7 kW and a peak output of 11 kW, with peak torque rated at 40 Nm. There will be a total of three ride modes – Xtealth, Xtride and Xonic. TVS also says the scooter has selectable regenerative braking modes, but hasn't provided specifics. The X also gets front (220 mm) and rear (195 mm) disc brakes with single-channel ABS, and ‘intelligent’ cruise control.

The X has a 4.44 kWh (installed; 3.8 kWh useable capacity) battery pack with nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cells, which blesses the scooter with a range of up to 140 kilometres. With the 3 kW home charger, the X can regain about 50 per cent charge inside an hour, and with the 950-watt charger, can get to 80 per cent charge in about three hours and 40 minutes. The charging port is housed in the raised tunnel that flows into the split seat arrangement.

Central to the X experience, according to TVS, is its 10.25-inch high-definition TFT screen that is also tilt-adjustable. It features the ‘NavPro’ onboard navigation system, programmed to prioritise EV-specific routing. With the touchscreen, buyers will be able to access wellness functions (promising a therapeutic aural experience), games, live video streaming and browsing. However, most of these features are expected to be accessible only when the scooter is stationary. An anti-theft alarm is included, too.

Also part of the package is the TVS ‘Smart Xhield’ suite, which introduces speed limiting, overspeed alerts, fall alert, geo-fencing, auto-locking, tow and theft alert and live vehicle location sharing. Buyers will also be able to unlock the scooter using a PIN-based system.