Pure EV ETrance Neo review: is it the antidote to your simple, affordable and effective electric daily commuter quest?

Pure EV is an Indian brand. The company is based out of Hyderabad where it also manufactures its electric scooters. It arch focus is on the affordable electric scooter segment and it currently has four variants in its lineup, with two primary models — the ePluto with a retro design and the ETrance with a more modern and conservative styling. We've ridden the ETrance and more importantly its more powerful Neo variant which has received a few tweaks that the company says makes it better than before. Lets find out if that is true.

Styling

The ETrance Neo does resemble a few other scooters in the market but it also has a few unique touches. At the front there's an LED headlight and a pair of DRLs right below it. Moving to the sides, Pure EV has actually listened to its customers' feedback and made the seat longer and the grab rail taller than before. And at the back there's a very sharp looking LED tail light. After spending a few days with the ETrance Neo, I quite actually like the way it looks. It is tiny and very maneuverable in the city.

Motor and Battery

Propelling the ETrance Neo is a BLDC motor which draws power from a 2.5kWh lithium-ion battery. It produces a nominal output of 1.5kW (2bhp) and a peak output of 2.2kW (2.9bhp). Not exactly a lot, but enough to give the ETrance Neo a top speed of 60kmph in its most powerful mode. Speaking of which, the Neo gets three of those. In the first riding mode it is limited to 35kmph, whereas the second one bumps up the speed to 45kmph. The aforementioned and most powerful third riding mode delivers 60kmph.

Now, Pure EV claims that the ETrance can do between 90-120km on a single charge and those figures also correspond with the riding modes respectively. It takes four to four and a half hour to fully charge the ETrance Neo's battery and after riding it around the city in mixed conditions, we found that it can easily achieve the 100km on a single charge mark. The battery is also removable, which means that you can charge it in two ways, remove it and take it home or you can directly plug-in the charger into the port situated right under the rider. The battery is quite heavy though, so taking it out every time can be a tiring task.

Features and Space

The ETrance Neo gets a 4-inch LCD screen which is crisp and clear even in the brightest of the day. Earlier, the ETrance Neo had a digital display which was very small. It displays your speed, has an odometer and also a battery indicator. There are also a couple of cubby holes to store a bottle or keep your mobile phone. It also has an anti-theft alarm system with a key fob to lock and unlock your scooter. What the ETrance Neo lacks though, is a mobile charging port. Space wise, there's sufficient space for a couple of grocery bags in the footwell of the ETrance Neo and you can actually fit a half-face helmet in its boot, under the seat now! It can also carry two people now more comfortably than before because of the aforementioned seat extension.

Ride, Handling and Ergonomics

The ETrance Neo rides on 10-inch wheels and gets telescopic suspension at the front, whereas there is a dual spring setup at the rear. While the rear soaks bumps decently, the front is just too stiff and passes a jolt to your hands and shoulder every time you encounter a bad patch of road. But it does give the ETrance Neo good straight line compliance. Things are different in the corners though, where the setup feels wobbly and dangerously so. Pure EV has shifted the ETrance Neo's battery further down and not only does that make up space for a half face helmet now, but it also lowers the centre of gravity which makes the Neo a better handler than before. The ETrance Neo gets a disc brake at the front and a drum brake at the rear, with a battery regeneration system so as a result the front brake, while it does a good job of slowing the Neo down, lacks bite and feels more like an on-off switch.

Verdict

With an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 84,000, the ETrance Neo is one of the most pocket friendly electric scooters available in India right now. It rivals the likes of Hero electric's Photon and Okinawa's praise and while it doesn't deliver in the #ThrillOfRiding department, it does what it claims to be. It is better than before and delivers a real world range of over 100km, with decent comfort and practicality. All in all its a very good city companion I'd say.