This is the ePluto 7G. This is a brand new electric scooter launched by the Hyderabad based startup - PureEV. The pricing and availability will be updated by the end of December 2019.
We went on a 50 km ride and here are some 10 observations!
We went on a 50 km ride and here are some 10 observations!
Lets Ride : PureEV ePluto 7G - 50 km ride in Mumbai
TEN OBSERVATIONS
We asked the company if existing customers can get a software update to get new BMS features.
Unfortunately there will be hardware upgrades and thus in order to get new BMS features, they will need to get a new battery.
- PureEV have been selling their electric scooter called the ePluto since 2018. The ePluto is a low speed scooter which did not need a licence and registration.
This ePluto 7G, which you see here, is a high speed variant, which can go upto 65 kmph and you will need a licence to ride this baby. - What stands out, when I look at the specs is the 2 kW peak power output and the achieved top-speed of 65 kmph which is pretty good compared to electric scooters in the market.
- PureEV is one of the few electric scooter companies who are making their own batteries. This battery pack can store around 2.5 kWh worth of energy.
We spoke to Dr Nishanth Dongari and his team at PureEV he told us that the Lithium Ion battery uses the NMC Chemistry. They told us they use 3C/4C rated cells in the battery pack, which can endure high temperatures and high discharge rates. Also they have limited the controller draw at about 1C, which essentially controlling the power delivered to the motor, thus enhancing the lifecycle of the cells to about 1000 cycles - The PureEV team told us that ePluto 7G battery pack has an "off the shelf" BMS with software features added by PureEV team.
- Protection when charging and discharging
- Algorithms for improved cut off
- Variable current discharge vs voltage
We asked the company if existing customers can get a software update to get new BMS features.
Unfortunately there will be hardware upgrades and thus in order to get new BMS features, they will need to get a new battery.
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| 5. The LCD display is very similar to the normal ePluto scooter. They still have a Guessometer which shows the battery state of charge in terms of bars. We would have loved to see an accurate state of charge percentage indicator. We did speak to the team at PureEV who are developing the battery in house and they told us that the LCD DIsplay panel will change in coming months as they add BMS and controller features. And the accurate state of charge percentage indicator on the LCD, is a problem the team is working on priority. 6. The scooter has 3 speed modes. Mode 1 goes upto 45 kmph. Mode 2 goes upto 55 kmph and Mode 3 goes up to the top speed of 65 kmph. You twist the throttle to the max in mode 1 or 2 and then switch to the next mode and you feel an instant burst of power which helps you overtake slow-moving vehicles on the road. We never felt the need for more power. The ePluto 7G offers performance that almost matches the performance of petrol scooters. 7. The e-Bike battery is removable You can take the battery home or at work to charge. A big plus if you have no access to charging at parking areas. 8. Test ride: Juhu Beach to Santacruz & back - 50 km. A ride in peak morning rush hour traffic to South Mumbai. The ride had We had fully charged the battery and after the ride there was 3 bars remaining out of 4. Although we noticed after riding 20+ km, the top speed was dropped to 60 kmph from 65 kmph. So for a short 15-20 km ride, the battery still showed 5 bars, which ensures if you keep the battery charged, you will never run out of juice for small in city runs. 9. Lack of Boot space to place a helmet or even a charger is an issue. I would love to store the charger and sadly the space is lacking. 10. As of December 2019, they have 35+ dealers pan India and are operating in 12 states Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal, Noida. So if you are in any of these states, do visit them and try it out! We wish PureEV the best for the release of ePluto 7G and we appreciate the focus on batteries. Support Indian startups like PureEV and go for electric scooters! |  Charging the PureEV battery at home |
