There were questions on everyone’s minds when Corrit Electric dropped off the Hover moped at our HQ. What exactly is this thing, and why does it have such fat tyres? Let’s clear up a few basics. The Hover moped is manufactured by Corrit Electric, a new startup based out of Gurugram. Corrit wants to cater to teenagers — someone who is yet to receive their driver’s license but loves the idea of two wheels. Priced at Rs 84,999, what does the Hover offer and what's it like to ride with a moped with such fat tyres?
Corrit looks to create a new segment in the electric two-wheeler segment, and given its rather unconventional design approach, the Hover actually surprises people at first glance because there’s nothing like it on the road. I’ve had countless people come up to me inquiring about the Hover. Its exposed frame and round LED headlamp make it look properly retro. From the rear, it feels like a miniature cruiser motorcycle, especially with those thick 18/8.5-8 tyres and a slim LED tail lamp. Since the scooter’s top speed is capped at 25kmph, you do not need to get it registered by the authorities, and hence there is no provision of a number plate. Instead, you get a small plate finished in a shade of gold, on which the manufacturer will engrave your name if you wish.
Powering the Hover is a 250W BLDC electric motor which makes 41Nm of peak torque. When you twist the throttle from rest, the response feels slightly delayed and it takes some time to get going, even in its most powerful mode. However, its 105kg kerb weight makes it fairly agile in traffic once you get used to the tyres. The seating position is quite low, so it somewhat gives you the impression of being astride a cruiser motorcycle. The seat is decent in terms of comfort, but riding two-up is a somewhat cramped affair, especially if you are of a heavier build. The telescopic forks up front do not filter out undulations very well and you can feel every bump on the handlebar, while the twin springs at the rear perform slightly better, but nevertheless the Hover does not like to be ridden on rough patches. The disc brake setup on both ends works well and makes sure the Hover comes to a halt quickly, but our unit made noises on certain occasions even during normal braking.
The 1.5kW battery pack of the Hover can be topped up via a portable charger in just over 3 hours. Corrit claims that the Hover can travel upto 110km on a single charge. However, the range display fluctuated frequently on a mere 22km trip to my aunt’s place. Since there was no way to know how much range was actually left, I decided it was better to be safe than sorry and plug it in. We do not know if this is an issue with just our test scooter or a common problem among customers.
Equipment-wise, the Hover is completely spartan with just a tiny range display on the right side of the handlebar. Corrit says an app is under development which will be released soon. It will support connected features such as live location and vehicle status, trip details, remote functions, navigation and wheel lock among others. Currently, the Hover gets three riding modes with slightly varying performance levels, and a reverse mode as well.
At Rs 84,999, the Hover is an entertaining, if not a slightly costly prospect. It performs decently and is quite fun to ride, but there needs to be a proper instrumentation setup and the ride and handling needs to be worked on. It does come across as a tad pricey, especially when you consider it is targeted towards people below 18 years of age, who would want to move on to bigger and more powerful means of transport once they turn old enough.