Simple Energy postpones delivery of its flagship e-scooter for third time

Homegrown electric two-wheeler maker Simple Energy has announced that deliveries of its flagship e-scooter ‘Simple One’ have been pushed back to the March quarter of 2023. As per the company, the reason behind the delay is due to the recent government guidelines on battery safety.

Simple Energy claims that the reason behind its latest delay in deliveries is the new battery safety guidelines issued by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), adding that this delay would enable the company to ensure that its electric scooter complies with the new safety standards.

Simple Energy revealed its e-scooter Simple One on August 15 last year, with pre-bookings also commencing the same day. Simple One will compete against the likes of Ola Electric S1 and Ather 450X.

Suhas Rajkumar, Founder- CEO of Simple Energy, said, “Adhering to the Government's new battery safety guideline, Simple has taken a call to defer the deliveries of the scooter to thus ensure that these vehicles are certified as per new standards.”

The company anticipated a new framework to be announced in light of the recent incidents in the EV industry, Simple Energy said. The e-scooter will comply and adhere to the new standards, thereby causing the delay, it said in a statement.

Interestingly, this is the third delay from Simple Energy. The Bengaluru-based start-up’s deliveries were initially pushed from December 2021 to June 2022 and then from June to September 2022.

Furthermore, the company previously had also cited safety reasons for its earlier delay announced in May 2022. The company, at the time, stated, “Keeping in mind the safety standards and the recent incidents in the EV industry, Simple had taken a conscious call of deferring the deliveries of the One”.

The electric two-wheeler maker had attributed the first delay to supply chain issues.