By Atul Gopal
So the PluginIndia team had received, PureEV EGNITE, It is a new e-Bike from PureEV a startup from Hyderabad. They have now launched this model, which is called EGNITE, which is essentially an electric mountain bike. The best part about this e-Bike is that the battery is made right here in India. Making it one of the few eBike companies making batteries in India.
So the PluginIndia team had received, PureEV EGNITE, It is a new e-Bike from PureEV a startup from Hyderabad. They have now launched this model, which is called EGNITE, which is essentially an electric mountain bike. The best part about this e-Bike is that the battery is made right here in India. Making it one of the few eBike companies making batteries in India.
The ePluto EGNITE is a good stable commuter bike. Top speed at 30 kmph is quite good. Could not have wanted anything better. What helps the stability is its weight - 28 kg, with the 2.35 inch wide tyres adding to the firm road grip. The Egnite Shimano button gear shift is quite smooth. Choice of 7 gears. Has a good ergonomic seat. Gives a reasonable riding comfort.
There are 5 levels of pedal-assist. Starts at 12.5 kmph, and goes all the way to 25 kmph in 2.5 kmph steps. Unfortunately, given that the bike is priced at about 50k, the pedal assist sensor disappoints at being a cadence one, instead of a torque one. In general, when I use a bicycle I want to keep the assist optional. However the Egnite is not a cycle where you would like to go without an assist. Hmm.. possibly, on down slopes. Most electric vehicles have flat tyres, as it reduces rolling resistance. We would recommend to switch to one.
The battery is the best part of the cycle. There is enough to easily go to 50 kilometres, and I suspect with some conservative riding, you could even touch 80 kilometre, in a single charge. Charging time is on the higher side, almost taking 4 to 5 hours. The thing that I would like to see improved on the highest priority is the software which shows the power consumption, as well as the voltage. The battery power indicators are voltage driven. The bars fluctuate depending on the power being drawn by the motor. It would have been nice if the battery management system did some math and calculated the SoC.
Presence of an accelerator helps in jams. The assist is dangerous, because the motor continues to remain on for a couple of seconds after the cadence sensor has detected motion. There is a walk mode, where the speed in varies from 3.5 to 5 kmph. Another thing that I liked about the cycle is that you can use the bike in zero assist mode, with the sensors working. This helps you know your current speed and distance covered. Would have been happier if the odometer continues functioning even when the power is switched off.
The light provided in the front is ok. It gives you reasonable visibility for the next 4 to 5 metres. The LED display is backlit, not sure if it is also IP67 rated. The On-Off switch takes some pressing. My worry is how waterproof would the switches and display be.
The company could have given a slightly longer charging cable. It had great problems connecting the plug point to the battery, especially because the review cycle that I got did not have any keys. So we could not detach batteries. Some basic engineering issues were present in the cycle got delivered. The handle came loose, the front brake adjustment was required.
There are 5 levels of pedal-assist. Starts at 12.5 kmph, and goes all the way to 25 kmph in 2.5 kmph steps. Unfortunately, given that the bike is priced at about 50k, the pedal assist sensor disappoints at being a cadence one, instead of a torque one. In general, when I use a bicycle I want to keep the assist optional. However the Egnite is not a cycle where you would like to go without an assist. Hmm.. possibly, on down slopes. Most electric vehicles have flat tyres, as it reduces rolling resistance. We would recommend to switch to one.
The battery is the best part of the cycle. There is enough to easily go to 50 kilometres, and I suspect with some conservative riding, you could even touch 80 kilometre, in a single charge. Charging time is on the higher side, almost taking 4 to 5 hours. The thing that I would like to see improved on the highest priority is the software which shows the power consumption, as well as the voltage. The battery power indicators are voltage driven. The bars fluctuate depending on the power being drawn by the motor. It would have been nice if the battery management system did some math and calculated the SoC.
Presence of an accelerator helps in jams. The assist is dangerous, because the motor continues to remain on for a couple of seconds after the cadence sensor has detected motion. There is a walk mode, where the speed in varies from 3.5 to 5 kmph. Another thing that I liked about the cycle is that you can use the bike in zero assist mode, with the sensors working. This helps you know your current speed and distance covered. Would have been happier if the odometer continues functioning even when the power is switched off.
The light provided in the front is ok. It gives you reasonable visibility for the next 4 to 5 metres. The LED display is backlit, not sure if it is also IP67 rated. The On-Off switch takes some pressing. My worry is how waterproof would the switches and display be.
The company could have given a slightly longer charging cable. It had great problems connecting the plug point to the battery, especially because the review cycle that I got did not have any keys. So we could not detach batteries. Some basic engineering issues were present in the cycle got delivered. The handle came loose, the front brake adjustment was required.
