This test between the popular e-scooters reveals which one is the best when the gradient gets steeper
India has lakhs of kilometers of roads and a notable part of it are hilly ones with steep climbs. So for EVs to truly make an impact here, they should be able to tackle such steep hill climbs without any hiccups. .
But how do you test this? Well, simply by taking three of India’s most popular EVs, the Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak, and the Ola S1 Pro to a hilly stretch of tarmac and finding out how well they perform. Lucky for us, that’s exactly what YouTuber ASardar Reviews has done and here’s how it went.
The Test
The test is fairly simple. All each scooter has to do is carry two passengers from point A to point B without any hiccups in its least powerful mode since that’s the most common mode for the majority of riders in the city.
The only twist in the tale is that there’s a steep hill climb between road A and road B comprising sharp hairpin bends. Got it? Let’s get to interesting bits now.
Ola S1 Pro vs Bajaj Chetak vs Ather 450X Hill Climb Test
There were a few noteworthy points in this test, though, which you can read about by swiping up.
Before telling you how these scooters did, let’s recap their power figures just in case.
As you can see, the ball is clearly in the Ola S1 Pro’s court as it has the best power figures amongst the three. Sadly, this is the only place where the S1 Pro wins in this test.
First at the scene is the Bajaj Chetak. It completes the test fairly easily and goes slow but constantly to wrap up the climb
The test starts off with the Bajaj Chetak, which completes the course fairly easily and with no lags or problems. A contributing factor to this smooth performance is the fact that the Chetak automatically switches from the Eco mode to the Sport mode when the speeds increase, thus essentially making the climb easier.
Next is the Ather 450X. It also does well but the YouTuber ASardar Reviews switches to Warp mode before the hairpin since that requires more juice
Next, it’s time for the Ather 450X. In its Eco mode, the Ather 450X accelerates well and covers the first stretch fairly easily. However, since the Eco mode limits the top speed to around 40kmph, this means the motor is basically out of juice at this point, meaning it wouldn’t be enough to tackle a steep hairpin.
Once in the Warp mode, things are silky smooth for the 450X and it even reaches 60kmph while going uphill
As a result, the YouTuber switches to the Warp mode right before the hairpin. Once in its most powerful mode, the Ather 450X powers through the whole hill climb super easily and even reaches a commendable 60kmph of top speed on a steep, straight stretch.
The most disappointing scooter, though, was the Ola S1 Pro as it got stuck on the hairpin in its normal mode
Finally, it was time for the Ola S1 Pro and this is where things get a little disappointing. You see, the Ola S1 Pro in its normal mode, powers through the straight stretch of the climb very easily, but surprisingly, comes to a dead stop on the hairpin and fails to move ahead even when the pillion steps off.
A contributing factor here is that the S1 Pro cuts power as soon as you touch the brakes, which basically means if you’re stuck on a hairpin, you can’t go anywhere but backwards.
However, soon after, the Ola S1 Pro completely shut off, due to overheating and failed to even reach the top of the hill
Post this fail, the YouTuber attempts the same test in the Sport mode, and only then, does the scooter climbs the hairpin properly.
But after tackling this, Ola throws another fit: overheating. Yes, even before completing the full hill climb, the Ola S1 Pro shut off completely with a warning on the TFT notifying that the scooter has overheated and will automatically shut down.
This isn’t the first overheating issue people have faced with the Ola S1 Pro and one of these even blew up into flames recently.
The Conclusion
Three popular Indian electric scooters, one hill climb. Can the scooters do it? Let’s find out
So what’s the conclusion? Well, mainly that Ola still has a lot of homework to do with its electric scooters and there’s no way this can be the “best” electric scooter with such basic problems.
Meanwhile, the Ather 450X and Bajaj Chetak continue to impress and come out on top as more reliable and practical electric scooters in the market.
Watch the full video here:
Keyword: Ola S1 Pro Vs Ather 450X Vs Bajaj Chetak; Which Electric Scooter Performs Best On An Incline?