We had the opportunity to test out the Ampere Magnus Pro and we took it. What we got was a fairly enjoyable little thing that can be rode around inside one’s society.
To be fair, we need to think of this as an early venture into what could be a very good product. Yes EVs have been around for a while. Yes, they are slowly by surely taking over combustion engines. But the problem is they haven’t yet. So when going through this review, make sure you see the potential and not the product.
Let’s start off traditionally: With design. It is conventional. There is absolutely nothing that will tell it apart from a conventional scooter save for no licence plate and if you look closer the really fat floorboard. The front apron houses the LED DRLS that switch on as you turn the key and a very conventional LED headlamp. The seat is a nice cushy unit and hides a fairly decent storage space underneath.
Coming to build quality. It gets the job done. While all the lines and creases meet at the right angles and the gaps are little more than just that, there is an overwhelming feeling of plastic that radiates from it. Especially from the little red industrial looking switch on the right side of the handlebar that chooses which riding mode you want.
The drivetrain. The Magnus Pro is powered by a 1.2 kW motor which in turn is powered by a 1.8 kWh Lithium-ion battery. Range on this electric scooter is a very generous 75 km, at least that is what Ampere claims, but the way this range is reached is what bothers me.
In one power mode, your top-speed is limited to 35 and that’s when you can achieve that 75 km range. At the more brutal Level 2, you can go as fast you want, as long as it is under 50 km/h. What you have to understand here is that the Magnus was never meant for speed.
It is an electric scooter that is supposed to take you from point A to point B in no hurry at all. That Level 2 speed as well is fairly good for keeping up with city traffic since most of us crawl at 40 anyway. The problem I had was in the throttle calibration. It almost feels as though it is an on/off switch ported into a twisty thing.
Roll on for go roll off for no. There is a small point in the throttle that will keep leave you at whatever speed you want to stay at but it’s a messy affair and you don’t end up finding it when you need to.
Like we mentioned before, what you need to think of here is the potential. Of course EVs are an expensive affair now. It will take a while before economies scale kick in and bring prices down and that may not be too far off, but the Ampere Magnus Pro is one of the better cheap electric scooters out there at a price of Rs 80,491 ex-showroom, Mumbai.
At this price, you have conventional internal combustion engines that, very honestly are better scooters. But would you be able to say that you saved the environment a little today just by riding the Magnus Pro?
