Reviews

PureEV EGNITE e-Bike review

Incredible battery and a fantastic ride.
The pedal assist sensor can be of better quality.
By Atul Gopal on November 25, 2019 11:30 am
Video Review
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.
Here are some photos of the PureEV EGNITE

Does it perform as good as it looks?  Read on!

Specifications & Details

  • MANUFACTURED BY:
  • PureEV 
  • MODEL:  
  • PureEV EGNITE e-Cycle
  • PRICE:
  • Rs 53,999
  • SUGGESTED USE:
  • Commuting with cities / towns
  • WARRANTY:
  • Battery     - 1 Year
  • Motor       - 1 Year
  • Controller - 1 Year
  • Charger    - 1 Year
  • AVAILABILITY:
  • Shipped all over India  
  • MOTOR TYPE:
  • Rear-Mounted Geared Hub Motor.
  • MOTOR OUTPUT:
  • 250 Watts
  • MOTOR TORQUE:
  • 40 Nm. 
  • BATTERY VOLTAGE:
  • 36 Volts
  • BATTERY WATT HOURS:
  • Watt Hours = Volts x Ampere Hours
  • 36 V x 15 Ah = 540 Wh = 0.54 Units (kWh)
  • BATTERY CHEMISTRY:
  • LiNiMnCoO2 (NMC) - This is standard for most e-Cycles. 
  • LITHIUM CELL Info:
    • Samsung make – 5-7 years battery life.
    • These are Lithium based 18650 cells.
    • 800-1000 cycles are estimated life cycles in this pack.
    • 3 years is estimated life of pack.
  • CHARGE TIME:
  • 3-4 hours with a 3 Amp charger
  • ESTIMATED RANGE:
  • 60 km PAS (Level 3 to 5)
  • 25 km Throttle​
  • DISPLAY TYPE:
  • Backlit Monochrome LCD 
  • READOUTS:
  • Speed, Odometer, Battery Level, Average Speed, Top Speed, Pedal Assist Level (1-5), Walk Assist indicators.
    • Cruise control - No
    • No Regenerative Braking
  • DRIVE MODE:
  • Pedal Assist configured with 5 magnet sensor which offers cadence pedal assist
  • TOP SPEED:
  • 25 kmph capped as per statutory regulations
  • TOTAL WEIGHT:
  • 23 kg
  • BATTERY WEIGHT:
  • 3 kgs
  • MOTOR WEIGHT:
  • 3 kgs.
  • LED Light & Electric horn​​

Cycle Information
  • FRAME MATERIAL:
  • Zoom brand Al Alloy  
  • FRAME COLORS:
  • Grey
  • GEARING DETAILS:
  • 7 speed Shimano Gears
  • Suspension
  • Adjustable front suspension for easy ride on bumpy roads
  • Seat pillar suspension for jerks absorption
  • PEDALS:
  • Plastic
  • BRAKE DETAILS:
  • Quality Disc brakes 
  • SADDLE:
  • Gel support ​
  • RIMS:
  • Alloy
  • WHEEL SIZES:
  • 26 in 
ACCESSORIES:
  •  None informed
So here is our take on the EGNITE Fat e-Bike:

Styling & Looks : 7 out of 7

  • [+1] The PureEV EGNITE e-Bike just looks fantastic, it just gives a WOW feel when looked from the side.
    • The battery seems to be part of the frame. You hardly realise it's there  
  • [+1] The first thing you notice is the large frame which gives you a cruiser feel when you ride it. 
    •  The frame is large in size and the company has no medium or small frame options. If you are a bit shorter in height, then the frame might be large for you.
  • [+1] There is a macho look to it, simply because the tyres are wider, the frame dips down a little bit.
  • [+1] The cable clutter is not very high. Most of the wires are neatly routed inside the down tube, which makes everything look neat.
  • [+1] The seat bar is nice and long. Adjusting the seat height is very easy and you don't need any tools. 
  • [+1] The backlit digital LCD display with integrated button pad, is nice and large.
    • It’s very easy to read. It has a lot of detailed information about the motor and batteries as well, along with the speed and temperature.
  • [+1] The frame, handle bar, downtime are of high quality made by Zoom company.

Performance & Ride : 7 out of 9

  • [+1] In terms of Speed and Acceleration, we would give top marks to the PureEV EGNITE.
    • Although the motor is rated at 250 Watts, you can feel almost 500 Watts of power delivered to the motor, when you start pedalling in the higher levels of assist.
  • [+1] We could achieve top speed of 30 kmph, which is amazing - 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.​.
  • [0]  What disappoints again is responsiveness possibly because our hearts are set out to having torque based pedal assist sensors. But we have a 5 magnet cadence sensor here, which reduces the sensitivity of the ride and that is disappointing. 
    • Although PureEV can easily fix this by installing a 12 magnet PAS (Pedal Assist) sensor.
    • They might have to tune the controller a bit. 
  • [+1]  Provision of having an accelerator throttle is helpful in slow moving traffic and works very well.
    •  In slow moving traffic, you should use the accelerator and turn down the PAS levels
  • [+1]The Suspension is adjustable at the front fork and is very comfortable in all types of roads.
  • [+1]  I was impressed with the cycle components. The mechanical disk brakes, the Shimano gear system, the front suspension work very well.
    • The e-Bike has fantastic cycle components, which ensures a good ride quality.. 
  • [+1] Adjusting the seat height is very easy and you don't need any tools
  • [0] The controller algorithm in tune with the Pedal assist sensor can change.
    • It takes 1-2 pedal rotations, before the electric motor kicks in with the electric assist. And when I stop pedaling, the battery is still delivering power to the motor for around 5-7 seconds.
    • While this is not a major issue, I would like to see the electric assistance stopped as soon as I stop pedaling.
  • [+1] The walk mode is performs well as advertised. ​

Efficiency & Range : 7 out of 8

  • [+1] The large 540 Whr battery is fantastic. You feel like there is unlimited energy as it goes on and on!
    • Most of us will use a combination of PAS (Level 4-5) and throttle, that should give you about 60-70 km range before you should start to worry about charge.
    • Although unlike an electric scooter, with an e-Bike, u can pedal and get home, if the battery runs out.   
  • [+1] The status of charge is shown in the LCD and also in the battery pack.
  • [+1] The PureEV EGNITE only consumes 0.54 units (kWh) of electricity when fully charged.
    • Very good economy for those who decide to use it as a means of daily commute.
  • [0] The eBike weighs 23 kg, with the 2.35 inch wide tyres adding to the firm road grip.
    • This unfortunately is not ideal when riding without electric assist. - We would recommending switching to a 2 inch wide tyre, which will offer less rolling resistance.
    • The company claimed this is possible as the rim supports it.
  • [+1] 7 Speed gears are a boon. When climbing a bridge, many times go to lowest gear and only start electric assist only when i really need it.
  • [+1]  Test ride 1: Pune University to Law College road and back - 12 km A ride with combination of PAS (Mode 5) and Throttle when encountering lots of traffic.
    • Absolutely comfortable, I never felt like superman before while cycling one the hilly road!
  • [+1] Test ride 2: SB Road to Market Yard and back - 15 km A ride with combination of PAS (Mode 5) and Throttle when encountering lots of traffic.
    • I still had around 5 bars battery remaining. 
  • [+1] So for a short 15 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. 

Charging : 4 out of 4

  • ​[+1] The e-Bike battery is removable  You can take the battery home or at work to charge.
  • [+1] Removing the battery is interesting with a lever provided.
  • [+1]  The Charge Indicator on the LCD shows the exact energy left and is a reliable indicator.
  • [+1] The charger is compact and charged the battery in around 4 hours.

Pricing and Availability : 2 out of 4

  • [0]  The PureEV EGNITE e-Bike is kinda expensive @ 47,499. But as a premium e-Bike, I would have expected a better pedal assist sensor.
  • [0]  Also for this pricing, a hydraulic braking system would be better.
  • [+1] PureEV have dealers all over India which is way better for service compared to many companies selling online only.​
  • [+1] ​The e-Bike is available on PureEV website, which is a plus.​

Extra Features : 5 out of 5

  • [+1] Intelligent display LCD panel. We like the integrated button pad here.
  • ​[+1]  As usual very nice front LED headlamp..
  • ​[+1] Walk Assist mode works as advertised.
  • [+1] Nice electric horn.​
  • [+1] Shimano SIS index gear system is a blast to use!​

Long Term Ownership Details

  • PureEV must be the only company in India selling e-Bikes with battery packs made in India. Which is fantastic as they can service these packs in case of any issues.
  • Service and support will be provided to all customers as the company is expanding on the dealer front.
  • The question to my mind is if PureEV will continue selling and servicing eBikes say in 3-4 years? Or will they move on to electric two wheelers and e-Bike upgrades will go to the back burner?

Final thoughts

So final thoughts, the PureEV team have done a great job in bringing a quality FAT e-Bike for the Indian market.
The cycle components are of high quality I would be comfortable taking this eBike on out of city rides given the large battery pack.
But ofcourse the PureEV EGNITE shines as a city commuter.

As always ride safe and always wear a helmet!  Over and Out!
Commute in style and enjoy the cruiser feel of the PureEV EGNITE ! 
Thank You!
The PluginIndia review team would like to thank the following people for being very nice and co-operating with us in order to work on this review.
  • Swarna Ramineni & Dr Nishanth Dongari from PureEV
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