The Smartness of Smart EV Features
Is there an exclusivity?
Two weeks back, we looked at how E2Ws have casually differentiated from ICE through large displays, computing, and the strength of UX/UI features. E2Ws are playing on convenience, realizing that the future customer considers it a priority demand.
The play on convenience is also a play on the typical strengths of E2Ws.
This is what we wrote.
We identified features where ICE motorcycles have an edge over E2Ws. Not many.
Then, there are a host of features where EVs and ICE are on an equal footing even though the implementation may differ. Nearly all features that involve sensors and/or mechanical linkages fall in this category.
Finally, there are features where EVs have an edge. The edge may be due to EVs' early start in that area or the software capabilities they have built up, which ICE has been reluctant to. Sometimes, the edge may be temporary, and ICE would soon catch up if they identify a need. However, we identify EV-native features towards the end of this write-up, features that ICE cannot copy.
Infotainment & Connectivity
Almost all of these features fall in the ‘No Advantage Zone’; neither ICE nor EVs have an advantage.
The antennae enable various features (eSim, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), including connectivity, infotainment, and tracking. From the user perspective, the antennae drives basic safety features like GPS tracking and geofencing and advanced connectivity features like WhatsApp messages on the scooter display and answering calls through the dash.
Players like Ather Energy have taken these further and enabled Live Location Sharing, a safety feature that is very relevant in some parts of the world.
Then there are the sensors—Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) and Near-Field Communication (NFCs)—which allow many other features, including toppling and abnormal movement alerts. The IMUs can also enable auto-turn-off indicators.
At the next level are features like Segway’s Air Lock, which ensures the vehicle unlocks or locks when the owner approaches or walks away from the scooter while carrying their smartphone. Some other manufacturers, like Ola Electric, use a different name for this feature.
Using sensors, fingerprint unlocking, and face unlocking will soon become very common on E2Ws.
However, none of these features are EV-specific. These can be added to an ICE motorcycle, and high-end motorcycles have already started offering them. The KTM 8.8” display is a step in that direction.
E2Ws have an advantage here because they have a headstart. The ICE world is a few weeks and a few hundred software engineers behind, but this is nothing that cannot be rectified if they put their minds to it.
E2Ws are also different in that they have large teams that think about connectivity, while the ICE world thinks more about chassis flex and weight reduction. We feel that the cultural shift for ICE is a big challenge, and it may be a while before they reach parity in this area.
Connected Accessories
The natural extension of a connected scooter is connected accessories. From BMW Motorrad to Ather Energy, everyone is playing with connected accessories. BMW has the Connectedride-Smartglasses, which provide a heads-up display and project information in the rider’s field of vision.
Ather Energy launched the Halo and Halo Bit in April 2024. The Halo is a full-size helmet with sound by Harman/Kardon integrated. Ather says the helmet reduces ambient noise, allows rider-pillion helmet-to-helmet conversation, and allows music sharing. The music and call controls are integrated into the auto-detect helmet, and handlebar controls manage the music and calls.
The Halo can be charged wirelessly inside the boot of the Ather Rizta scooters. However, this functionality does not work with other Ather models.
The EV Advantage
Finally, there are features where E2Ws have a core advantage. Remember, these are core advantages we are talking about, not features merely enabled by a software skin.
At a big-picture level, E2Ws have electric motors and fairly large batteries. Any unique E2W feature has to be built around these.
Modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, or whatever the manufacturer may call them) are the lowest-hanging fruits for the EV industry—software already controls how the motor spins and how much current it draws. Like ICE engines, motors have a power and torque curve. Modes can redraw the curve and provide users with multiple variations. As a result, manufacturers can offer multiple ways to deliver power and torque. Due to the differentiation created by modes, the user can have multiple settings between the highest range and highest acceleration.
In EVs, the modes can have a very wide band. You can make the ECO mode painfully slow and the user experience rubbish, which may improve the range significantly. On the other hand, one can increase the SPORTS mode as high as the cells would allow, at the expense of range.
While Modes are now standard in high-end ICE motorcycles, ICE engines are challenged to provide the wide flexibility motors can manage. Moreover, even the most basic commuter scooters can manage multiple modes because things are controlled by software without impacting BoM costs much.
Software enhancements also mean the user gets dynamic ride modes - one can play around with the power, the regen, and even the throttle response. This is arguably one area where EVs have a strong edge over ICE machines.
Regenerative Braking is a strong play for electric two-wheelers. They regenerate energy during braking, which can be stored in the battery, extending the range. ICE machines are at a disadvantage here as any Kinetic Energy Recovery System KERS system can only charge the battery some more, and the battery in ICE has no play in the powertrain unless you go for a hybrid or mild-hybrid powertrain.
The advantage of ‘Regen’ has resulted in manufacturers working on systems where a strong Regen mode can substitute for at least one of the brakes. This can be useful and also improve the life of the brake pads, though it takes time to get used to.
Other manufacturers like Livewire Motorcycles have started filing patents with plans to completely substitute at least one of the brakes with an advanced Regen system, regulations permitting.
Assist pushing or Crawling is a feature that runs the motor very slowly when you want to ‘walk’ the machine. The crawling feature is difficult to replicate with ICE engines and manual gearboxes, though it can be managed with deft throttle use with automatic gearboxes. Again, this is a feature that is more EV-specific.
The Reverse mode allows the vehicle to be reversed, another feature that gives the average commuter scooter a strong advantage. Reverse gears are necessary when the motorcycle weighs more than 300kg, and the size means it is no longer possible to reverse the motorcycle by pushing with your toes. Yet you need to, especially in situations like cramped parking lots. So mega-motorcycles like the BMW K 1600s and the Honda Goldwing all have reverse gears.
But that is pretty much where it stops. Honda reverses the Goldwing using the starter motor, so the reverse mode is electric. It runs off the Goldwing’s 216Wh battery and is good for many meters of reverse if needed. But it’s a system that needs a sufficiently large battery to operate. ICE machines have rather small batteries - the starter motor, the lights, and the electronics are the only things that need current. So, the reverse function is limited to only large motorcycles in the ICE domain.
Electric motorcycles have no such limitations. They have sufficiently large batteries and a motor with a controller. Reversing the polarity in a motor is child’s play. In actual operation, the controller ensures that the reverse is at a slow speed.
Special Features
After going through an exhaustive list of features and accessories, it is apparent that there are some areas where EVs may have an edge. Most of the edge comes from having a fairly large battery. Large batteries can drive significant things like a gyroscopic stabilizer, which is needed if you plan to make your two-wheeler self-balancing. This is an interesting and pointless feature for now, but we don’t know which way the world will spin tomorrow. The gyroscope needs packaging space and a lot of battery juice to run. That’s something only an E2W can do for now.
The ICE guys? They have to stick to knowing how to ride.
Insight EV tracks more than 220 electric mobility players and the world’s most important 2W markets. Connect with us on X at @editor_ev