Hidden Costs of Owning an Electric Scooter, From Running Costs to Battery Replacement

India’s famous tech YouTuber, Pratik Rai from TechWiser, has shared a wealth of details in his latest video about his experiences with electric scooters over the past two years.

Today, we’ll dive into his insights and explore his learning, particularly focusing on the hidden costs of owning an electric vehicle (EV).

From battery health to service challenges, Pratik’s journey with scooters like the Ola S1 Pro, Ather 450X, and the new Ather Rizta offers a practical guide for anyone considering an EV.

2-Year Journey with Electric Scooters

Pratik has been hands-on with electric scooters, including the Ola S1 Pro Gen 1, Ola S1 Pro Gen 2, and Ather 450X, for about a year each. Recently, he got his hands on the Ather Rizta, which he’s been driving daily for a month.

Whenever he rides an EV, people bombard him with questions: What’s the range? How much does charging cost? What’s the electricity bill like? How does the battery age? These are common curiosities, especially with the growing buzz around EVs in India.

Add to that the controversies surrounding Ola—defaulted payments worth 20 crore rupees, scooters catching fire, 10,000 complaints, delayed services, unresolved refund issues, and overall poor after-sales service—and it’s clear why people are both intrigued and cautious.

The hidden cost that Pratik zeroes in on is the battery.

In perspective, a petrol scooter like the Honda Activa costs around 90,000 rupees, while the Ather Rizta is priced at roughly 1.1 lakh rupees.

You might think the 15,000-rupee difference is recoverable in a few years since EVs don’t require petrol. But here’s the catch: the battery accounts for about 40% of an EV’s price, and replacing it isn’t cheap.

Pratik plans to test the battery health of India’s top four selling EVs—Bajaj Chetak, Ola S1 Pro, Ather Rizta, and TVS iQube—using scooters he’s ridden 5,000 km in a year and 10,000 km in two years.

Let’s break down what he’s uncovered.

Petrol Scooters vs. Electric Scooters: Key Differences

Before diving into costs, Pratik highlights a fundamental difference between petrol scooters and EVs: riding modes. Unlike a petrol scooter like the Activa, which has no modes, EVs come with options that tweak range and performance.

For example, the Ather Rizta offers Smart Eco mode (top speed capped at 50 km/h, ideal for traffic) and Zip mode (up to 80 km/h, better for highways). The Ola S1 Pro has four modes, each affecting range differently.

Here’s Pratik’s pro tip: don’t trust the Eco mode range when buying an EV—it’s often unrealistic for daily use.

Instead, check the mode just above Eco for a real-world estimate.

With the Ather Rizta, he gets 100-105 km in real conditions, and the dashboard range is spot-on. The Ola S1 Pro, however, delivers 10-20% less than what its dashboard promises.

The Hidden Costs of Owning an Electric Scooter

Pratik identifies three key areas to scrutinize when considering an EV: charging expenses, service expenses, and battery health and cost. Here’s what he found.

Charging and Service Expenses

• Service Costs: EVs need servicing every 5,000 km. Pratik spent just 1,100 rupees on his Ather 450X in a year, including a service costing 826 rupees and a handle grip replacement.

For Bajaj Chetak and TVS iQube, annual service costs range from 1,000 to 1,500 rupees for 5,000-6,000 km of city commuting. Ola’s service, however, was a letdown—his local center refused due to a backlog, forcing him to travel to a distant one, where costs ranged from 700 to 1,000 rupees.

His advice is to check the brand’s service network before buying.

• Charging at Home: Charging an EV takes 4-5 units of electricity for a full charge. In Delhi, where the first 200 units are free, Pratik hasn’t paid a dime for charging in a year. Your savings depend on local electricity rates, but it’s a clear win over petrol.
• Charging Network: For emergencies, a robust charging network matters. Ather impressed Pratik with stations even in remote areas—he charged for 15 minutes at 1 rupee per minute, paying 15 rupees. Ola is disappointed with just one charging point in Delhi NCR, requiring you to bring your charger.

TVS iQube offers no network, though you can charge for free at their service centers or pay at third-party stations like Ather’s. Ather stands out here.

Battery Health and Cost

The battery is the big-ticket item, making up 40-50% of an EV’s cost. For the Ather 450X, the replacement costs 60,000 rupees.

If it doesn’t last at least five years, you could end up spending more than on a petrol scooter. Battery degradation impacts range, top speed, and acceleration, similar to how smartphone batteries lose capacity over time.

EV makers may cap performance to preserve battery life, much like iPhones slow down to extend battery longevity.

• Warranties:
  • Bajaj and TVS offer a 3-year or 50,000 km warranty—too short, says Pratik.
  • Ola provides 3 years or 40,000 km, with paid extensions to 5 or 8 years.
  • Ather gives 5 years or 50,000 km by default, extendable to 8 years or 80,000 km with the Pro Pack (purchased within 90 days of buying). If the battery health drops below 70% before 80,000 km, Ather replaces it—no limit on replacements. Ola’s replacement policy is murky.
• Deep Discharge Risk: Leaving an EV uncharged for too long can lead to deep discharge, rendering it unusable. Ather offers assurance against this; Ola doesn’t.
• Battery Health Checks: At an Ola service center, staff couldn’t check battery health and offered only to replace it if faulty—a frustrating experience. At Ather’s center, Pratik saw his battery health at 97% after 5,000-6,000 km, suggesting it could last 10 years.

Final Thoughts

After two years, Pratik’s verdict is clear: EVs are eco-friendly and cost-effective. His Ather 450X cost him just 1,100 rupees in a year, compared to 2 rupees per km for a petrol scooter versus 0.2 rupees per km for an EV.

For a weekly commute under 100 km, an EV is a no-brainer.

His top pick? Ather. The 450X is sporty and nimble for traffic, while the Rizta suits families (though it lacks a touchscreen, requiring the app for navigation).

Ola’s Scooter, despite its features and discounts, gets a thumbs-down due to service woes—colleagues who bought the S1 Pro wouldn’t recommend it.

In summary, while electric scooters offer substantial savings on fuel and routine servicing over their lifespan, prospective buyers should factor in the eventual battery replacement cost, home charging installation expenses, and potentially higher insurance premiums, and be aware of the evolving resale market and infrastructure limitations.

Disclaimer:

This post is based on a YouTube video by Prateek Rai of TechWiser. Link to the video. The views, opinions and information presented here are taken from the video and do not necessarily reflect the views of its authors.

The content is provided for informational purposes only.