The Ampere Magnus Neo was our companion as we made an attempt to secure a spot in the India Book of Records.
Setting a record is exciting business and people have been doing it since time immemorial but there have not been many with city-speed scooters. Ampere were quick to come on board with the idea because they had complete faith in their engineering and the capability of their product. They supplied us with a stylish new Magnus Neo electric scooter and five batteries along with chargers.
Given the timing of the record attempt and Greaves Electric Mobility’s participation in the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, we figured it would be best to ride the scooter from their headquarters in Bengaluru all the way to the Expo. That is a 2,300-kilometre-plus route and should highlight the scooter’s performance and endurance beyond a shred of doubt. The ride was flagged off by Nagesh Basavanhalli, Non-Executive Vice Chairman of Greaves Cotton Limited, and K Vijaya Kumar, Executive Director and CEO of Greaves Electric Mobility, in the presence of the adjudicator from the India Book of Records.
Within an hour, India’s silicon city was shrinking in our rear-view mirrors as we set off in a northerly direction. Over the following week, here is the route we would take: Gooty-Shamshabad-Nirmal-Nagpur-Narsingpur-Lalitpur-Dholpur-Delhi. It was not easy. We had many challenges to face, including extremely cold mornings, scorching afternoons, poor visibility due to fog, questionable road conditions, and inevitable traffic. Regardless of what man and weather could throw at it, the Magnus Neo continued unfazed.
After eight days on the road, we rolled into the Expo venue, having covered in excess of 2,300 kilometres. Sometimes we had to ride up to 300 km per day. The first point of appreciation for Ampere’s engineering came from the fact that literally nothing went wrong with the scooter. The only times we had to stop the ride was for breaks and to swap batteries. Despite spending most of the time at full throttle, neither the powertrain nor the batteries showed any signs of fatigue or failure. The battery itself is a 2.3-kWh LFP unit which showed remarkable resilience by offering stable performance under maximum load even as the weather changed drastically. Furthermore, the ease of battery-swapping saved us a lot of time on the road. In less than 30 seconds, we could stop the scooter, change the battery and continue riding. Thanks to a range of 80-95 km, we did not have to stop often. It is also worth noting that Ampere are offering a battery warranty of 75,000 km or five years.
As riders, what stood out most for us was the comfort the scooter offered throughout this long journey. Not only was it stable at full speed round corners and on the highway, the suspension also absorbed everything our roads threw at it, keeping us comfortable and free from fatigue. Incidentally, even when the state of charge dropped below five per cent, the Magnus Neo continued to offer its full spectrum of performance. That is commendable.
On the first day of the Expo, the India Book of Records made our achievement official by awarding us the record for the “Longest Journey by a City-Speed Family Electric Scooter”.
In retrospect, all the challenges we faced en route were worth it because they helped us put the Ampere’s engineering to the test. The scooter overcame all of them, thus acquitting itself with aplomb. This ride was never about the distance. It was merely an exercise to showcase the performance and reliability of a product made by an indigenous brand. Greaves Electric Mobility and the Ampere Magnus Neo have surpassed everyone’s expectations and now they have an India Book of Records entry to bolster their credibility. India’s electric future is in good hands.
Also Read: Ampere Magnus Neo Launched
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