Keeway’s electric maxi-scooter packs a serious punch
Story: Anvay Mahajan
Photography: Chirayu Gijare
Lately, the Indian electric scooter market has been witnessing a new trend, with manufacturers introducing premium electric maxi-scooters. Most of these are positioned more as lifestyle products than purely practical commuters. BMW was among the first to enter this space with the CE 02, but several major manufacturers have since followed suit. TVS has the X, Yamaha has the Aerox E, and now Keeway has entered the segment with the Hypevolt-R. We spent a week with the Hypevolt-R to find out what it is like to live with.
Keeway’s electric division, EZI, introduced the Hypevolt-R last month in India. This electric maxi-scooter has a futuristic design that reminds one of Judge Dredd’s bike (although that was a motorcycle). It has a long 1,454-millimetre wheelbase, which is even longer than the Royal Enfield Guerrilla 450’s wheelbase of 1,440 mm. So, by scooter standards, it is quite a long machine. At 798 mm, it is also quite wide, and I could not comfortably flat-foot it.
Despite its size, the Hypevolt-R does offer a decent amount of practicality. It gets 31 litres of underseat storage, and the space is contoured well enough to accommodate the charger while still leaving enough room for a full-face helmet. There are also two latchable storage compartments at the front, one of which can be used to store the key fob, while both can accommodate small items. USB Type-A and Type-C ports are provided for charging your devices.
The Hypevolt-R gets a five-inch TFT display. It is crisp and easy to read, and displays most of the key information, although there is no range indicator. A range readout and, maybe, a clock on the display would have been useful. The scooter uses two battery packs, and the instrument cluster shows the charge percentage of both.
There is also a mobile app that can be used for keyless access to the scooter and its boot. The app allows you to check the range, adjust the traction-control settings, change regenerative braking levels, and even alter the charging adapter’s output. The app also has built-in maps, which can be mirrored on the scooter’s display. Other than that, the mirrors have a blind spot monitor, which is a good safety addition.
Powering the Hypevolt-R is a mid-mounted PMS motor producing six kW (8.15 hp) of continuous power and 12 kW (16.31 hp) at its peak. Acceleration is one of its strongest attributes. In Sport mode, it pushes you back with quite a punch. Keeway claims a 0-40 km/h time of just 1.6 seconds. The top speed is 115 km/h, making it a genuinely quick electric scooter.
There are three riding modes: Eco, Normal, and Speed. Speed mode is the most exciting but drains the battery considerably faster, so we spent most of our time in Normal mode. Normal has a top speed of 80 km/h and it is enough for daily riding. There is also a reverse mode, which can be activated by pressing and holding the R switch. Interestingly, activating reverse also switches on the rear camera, giving you a rear view on the dash if you do not want to physically turn around.
The Hypevolt-R rides on 14-inch wheels at both ends. Suspension duties are handled by a telescopic fork up front and twin shock-absorbers at the rear. The set-up is tuned towards the sporty side, the ride quality is quite stiff, and can get harsh over broken roads. However, on smooth roads and through fast corners, the Hypevolt-R feels stable and confidence-inspiring.
The disc brakes, supported by dual-channel ABS, offer good stopping power. However, when riding in Speed mode, I felt that a stronger initial bite could have added a little more confidence. The traction control also felt slightly twitchy, particularly when riding over undulating surfaces, where it would fluctuate more than I expected.
As mentioned earlier, the Hypevolt-R gets two removable NMC battery packs with a combined capacity of 5.04 kWh. Keeway claims an IDC range of 180 kilometres, but during our week with the scooter, riding in varying modes and conditions, we managed around 100 km on a charge. Charging both batteries takes around three to four hours. The scooter can also be ridden with just one battery pack installed, although that obviously limits the available range and performance. One gripe is the short cable on the charging adapter; a longer cable would make charging more convenient in some situations.
The Keeway Hypevolt-R is priced at Rs 1.99 lakh (ex-showroom) and is available in two colour options. It is currently the most affordable electric maxi-scooter in India, and its combination of performance, futuristic styling, and maxi-scooter proportions make it an interesting proposition for riders looking to enter this niche without spending considerably more.
