Here is a comparison between Hero MotoCorp’s Electric Photon versus Mahindra’s Rodeo.
First off, MotoCorp’s electric vehicles division has announced the introduction of the all-new high-speed electric scooter – ‘Photon’ across India. The vehicle was first unveiled at the Delhi Auto Expo earlier this year. The company claims that “the product earned exceptional response during test marketing in select markets and was on waiting.” The new scooter comes with features like front telescopic suspensions, anti-theft alarm, float-cum-boost charger, and aerodynamic style, Economy & Power Mode.
Photon:
The Photon has a high mag-flux with 46 magnetic poles for high efficiency and high torque. The waterproof brushless DC motor with low electro-magnetic interference gives a virtually noiseless ride. The scooter also has electronic controllers with 12 mosfets, 24MHz high-speed controller that gives instant response to the drive train with minimum signal losses. The Photon’s AGM VRLA battery is especially made for the harshest of Indian environmental conditions. The Photon is available in 3-colours; Vivid, Burgundy, vanilla white and Velvet Black. The photon’s steel chassis gives the bike a conventional scooter with a round headlamp, indicators on the apron as well as telescopic fork front suspension. The 10-inch wheels carry a disk and a drum brake at the front and rear respectively. Its 1500W waterproof DC motor carries 2 drive modes- power and economy. The bike can achieve a top speed of 45 kph and a range of 50 km per charge or 80 km per charge in the power and economy modes respectively. The Photon is installed with a VRLA battery and carries a multi-stage charger with in0built memory that regulates charge based on battery condition. It also carries a miniature circuit breaker along with battery charge conservation during long storage along with a fire-resistant wiring harness for safety.
The Photon’s multi-stage charger with in-built memory regulates the charge based on the battery condition, giving the highest charge efficiency. The Hero Electric Photon scooter is priced at Rs. 54,110 (ex-showroom, Delhi). The Hero electric dealers are offering finance on the Photon for 8 months to their customers. Additional offers include easy battery EMI scheme with 24 months of purchase through the “Super Saver Battery Scheme”
The vehicle is available across 5 metro cities in India.
Photon- Pros and Cons:
The Photon makes a great electronic scooter that is low maintenance, electric drive and it is eco friendly. Sadly, this ride is slow and speed cannot be expected. The range on this bike is insufficient. Also, the price of this electronic scooter is higher than the usual electric bikes.
Mahindra Rodeo UZO:
Mahindra Two Wheeler Ltd (MTWL) two-wheeler division of Mahindra Group has introduced the new Rodeo that is named Rodeo UZO 125.
The new Rodeo UZO:
The new UZO 125 comes with a new body, ornate graphics, colored wheels that bring out quite a sporty appeal. Moreover, it gets the double tone-dual texture seat that has been designed to “minimize slippage in high acceleration and sharp braking usage.”
The company claims that the new UZO 125 is pretty advanced as a scooter in terms of technology. The UZO 125 happens to be the only Indian scooter that comes equipped with advanced DCDI technology along with AILA system. This technology ensures better performance and lower maintenance. The UZO 125 has the first-in-class external front fuelling along with features such as fully digital dashboard that incorporates functions of a speedometer, tachometer, odometer, fuel indicator, clock, high-speed alarm as well as an accelerometer. Additionally, a 4-in-1 antitheft key protects this scooter; it also carries a mobile charging point as a standard feature as well as 22-litres of storage space. This scooter has an ARAI certified mileage of 59kmpl.
The scooter has Racing style body graphics, Accented body colored impact resistant mirrors, Striking colored wheels, sporty seat with anti-slip dual texture seat, 4 exciting sports colors, front telescopic suspension, high ground clearance of 154 mm and 6 color feature loaded with fully digital dashboard and side stand safety buzzer. The 4-stroke engine carries a displacement of 124.6 cc and has 8 bhp power with 7000 rpm and 9 Nm torque at 5500 rpm.
Bottom Line:
Price is definitely a factor in the case of this comparison between Hero Electric Photon and Mahindra Rodeo. The electric Photon is a great introduction to the electric scooter sector. But, its disadvantages are hard to miss out. The scooter seems to be overpriced and contains a lot less features than the Mahindra Rodeo. The Rodeo UZO has a great engine, excellent features and the price is very competitive. Overall, the Rodeo makes up for a great scooter with excellent graphics!!!