Hi folks,
The tips make sense (thank you, @saranyam.13891 ), but I was skeptical about the range (~100km in 450X with Sports and Ride mode with 14% battery left).
I did a test run of my Ather 450X today. I wanted to see the results myself (as there can be factors that other people overlooked but could have affected/helped to achieve the range).
TL;DR: What worked for the author didn’t work for me. I didn’t get the expected range as the author mentioned; instead, I got a decent range more than the projected range. Don’t think the projected/predicted range is always true in real-world. Even when you follow all tips and have a good efficiency track record, you might still end up going up and down the hills, which makes efficiency fall (given that the speed is constant).
Here’s the detailed review of the test run.
Before I begin, please note this is not about the projected/predicted range in the Ather dashboard/mobile app. In this test run, the battery literally went from 100% to 0%.
Bike condition
- My Ather 450X is lesser than a month old now (around 3.5 weeks).
- I don’t use my bike daily. The odometer reading was 1044 km before starting the ride.
- I have not used Ather grid (fast charging). Also, the bike is a month old. So let’s assume that the battery has not been damaged/tire pressure has not decreased.
- The motor belt looked clean. Had it water washed yesterday.
- I had 100% charged the bike before the test.
Ride condition
- I am ~70kg, and there was no pillion rider during the test.
- The initial and last 16km were on the road with less to moderate traffic (as in I harsh braked just once). The distance in between was on the highway, so no traffic at all. (It’s kind of near-ideal ride condition.)
- The ride was ~98% on the road. The remaining 2% was kind of off-road due to road repairs.
- The weather was a bit sunny with winds.
- No rash driving (as in I am not trying to go 40kmph in 4 secs). The throttle is sensitive comparing it to other ICE scooters. Just a slight throttle (in Sports mode), it smoothly reaches 30-40 kmph in few seconds.
- I used regen braking as much as possible and avoided harsh braking (but had to harsh brake once).
- I tried to keep the battery utilization light (in simple terms, avoided red halo around the projected range as much as possible). Talking about the speed (left side), it was light brown to red (when cruising on the highway at 60+ kmph).
- Bluetooth was off and screen brightness was set to low.
The most awaited test run
I planned to ride ~80kms using Sports mode only (and occasionally Ride mode). If what the author said was true, I should be able to pull the feat successfully as I think I have met all the criteria mentioned by the author and other people in the comments.
I tried to keep the speed around 55-65 kmph. On the highway, I was cruising with 60-65 kmph speed and occasionally hit 75 kmph once (in the first half.)
The battery percent left and the distance covered during the ride are as follows:
| Battery % left | Distance covered | Range in last 20% charge | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% | 0 km | N/A | - |
| 80% | 16 km | 16 km | As expected, due to little traffic. |
| 60% | 37 km | 21 km | Unexpected but nice. Stopped the bike around 59% (38.1km traveled with 28.8 Wh/km on avg) for a small break and started to head back with a 55% charge left. |
| 40% | 50 km | 13 km | While coming back, the wind was opposite. Also, the range in the last 20% charge has dropped. Weird. |
| 20% | 61 km | 11 km | This is when I realized the “unexpected factor” - slopes. The number of times I went uphill is greater than those I did in the first half. |
| 0% | 78 km | 17 km | Around 18%, I changed to Eco mode and kept about 30-40 kmph to reach home. The battery is 0%, and the bike automatically stops. The screen is still on. |
Observations
- Using Sports mode (majorly) and Eco mode in the last 18% charge, I could ride 78 kms successfully. I think the tips helped me (65 km in Sports and rest in Eco), which is more than Ather’s projected range in Sports mode.
- What worked for the author (~100km range) didn’t work for me.
- When the battery reaches 15%, Ather automatically disables mode switching. It will be in Eco mode till it reaches 0%.
- When the battery reaches 5%, there’s an annoying short notification on the dashboard saying to “charge battery” even when driving.
- When the battery is 0%, Ather doesn’t switch off like a mobile phone :P. It will still show battery percent, speed, etc.
- If you can travel X kms using a 50% charge (following all tips), never assume that you can travel back with the remaining 50%. (Slopes might kick in. If you are unlucky, winds blow from the opposite direction, or you might detour due to traffic).
Suggestions for people experimenting with their bikes
- Try this feat yourself. Know your bike. What worked for the author didn’t work for me. What worked for me might not work for you.
- I drove the bike on the Bangalore-Hosur highway (part of NH44). I am not sure if the altitude is a factor for the range I got. Try Ather at different altitudes if you can.
- Always have the portable charger with you. Don’t forget!! (like I did).
If you don’t plan to experiment, stick to the projected/predicted range Ather gives you.
Questions that still remain
I have a few questions. If you know the answer, please comment on it.
- Are there any factors that I missed/overlooked?
- Will draining the battery to 0% damage the battery? Will doing it multiple times damage the battery in the long run?
- Even if the battery is 0%, the dashboard is still on. How long can the dashboard go with a 0% charge?
- Does the dashboard have a separate battery of its own?
Finally, if you want more details about the ride/have some specific questions on the conditions of the ride, please let me know.
Hope my test results help someone.
Screenshots
First half:
Second half:
