Bounce Infinity E1: Are swappable batteries the solution we have been seeking?

Bounce Infinity E1 is cheaper than most mainstream petrol scooters.

Bengaluru-based EV start-up Bounce appears to have thrown its hat into the EV ring, with a much cheaper and seemingly practical solution: swappable batteries. While the e2w market offerings have been eclipsed by the likes of Ather Energy and Ola Electric, between relatively higher price tags of the former, and indefinite waiting periods of the latter, there appears to be room for other, lesser known manufacturers to step-in with lower priced products. The Bounce Infinity E1 which has been launched at Rs 68,999 does just that.

With its price tag, Bounce’s scooter undercuts several e-scooters. Moreover, its price is lower than most mainstream petrol scooters as well. The differentiator? Bounce’s “battery as a service” option. With this, the customer has the choice of buying the scooter with the battery and charger, or rent the battery pack. The latter has been offered as a solution in the past. Back when Mahindra’s e2O was still sold, the company had introduced a monthly rental scheme, which allowed them to cut the price of the not-very-cost-effective electric hatchback by a solid Rs 1.7 lakh.

While this didn’t do much to prolong the e2O’s existence, it did bring a radical solution to a chronic problem: battery costs. Buy the Bounce Infinity E1 without the battery pack and you can acquire it for an even more reasonable Rs 45,099.

Unlike premium e-scooters like the Ather 450X and the Ola Electric, the Infinity E1 comes with a much smaller battery pack of 2kWh (Ather’s is 2.9 kWh, while Ola’s entry-level S1 also features a similar sized battery) Shaving a whole kWh from the battery’s size undoubtedly helps keep the costs low. It’s claimed range of 85km is on par with Ather’s however, that’s yet to be put to the test.

While it isn’t as software heavy as the more premium offerings, it does come with nifty features like a reverse mode, cruise control, remote tracking, geofencing etc. It also gets a crawling function that allows it to move at walking speed should you have a flat tyre.

While the details of its battery subscription plan remain unknown, it does beg the question why others haven’t opted for swappable batteries. In an interview with MoneyControl, Ather Energy co-founder Tarun Mehta stated that portable batteries cause additional wear and tear and that carrying removable batteries for home charging can be a tedious exercise on a daily basis.

Brands like Ather and Ola Electric have instead opted for an extensive charging network. Bounce, on the other hand, aims to build the largest and densest battery swapping platform with a swapping facility at every 1km distance. While this is a very tall order, it does save the customer the time required to recharge a scooter, even with a fast charger.

The Bounce Infinity E1 is essentially a reworked version of the Taiwan-born 22Kmcyo i-Flow. The brand, originally started as a scooter rental start-up in Bengaluru and then went on to acquire 22 Motors which had joined hands with Taiwanese e-two wheeler maker Kymco.

Kymco eventually split with 22 Motors for reasons unknown, but it appears that that the brand’s swappable battery pack technology has found its way to Bounce, which now owns 22 Motors. More than a portable battery, Bounce offers a swappable one - becoming the first two-wheeler EV maker in India to do so. Whether this solution will go on to become the one preferred by customers, remains to be seen, but for the moment the electric two-wheeler wars have just become a lot more interesting.