When I first started riding an electric scooter, I wasn’t sure how long the experience would last. Electric scooters in Pakistan are still relatively new, and there are plenty of questions around their practicality, range, charging time and performance.
Fast-forward to today, and my scooter has covered 4,050 kilometres.
The scooter uses a 72V 32Ah graphene battery pack paired with a 1000-watt electric motor. After thousands of kilometres of riding it through Lahore, I can now say something that you simply cannot say after a one-day test ride: I know what it is like to actually live with one.
And surprisingly, there are things I absolutely love about it—and a few things that genuinely annoy me.
The Biggest Advantage: How Easy It Is To Ride
The first thing I noticed about this scooter was how nimble it feels.
In Lahore’s traffic, this matters more than outright performance. The scooter is compact, easy to manoeuvre and doesn’t feel intimidating when you’re filtering through traffic or making quick turns.
There is no clutch, no gear shifting and no constant engine noise. You simply twist the throttle and go.
For daily commuting, this simplicity is addictive.
Traffic that can feel exhausting on a conventional motorcycle becomes much less stressful. You can concentrate on the road instead of constantly working a clutch, changing gears and managing engine RPM.
Perfect For City Traffic
This is where I think electric scooters make the strongest argument for themselves.
A 1000-watt motor isn’t going to turn this scooter into a performance machine, but inside the city, outright speed isn’t always what you need.
You need something that is easy to handle, cheap to run and comfortable enough for short and medium-distance commuting.
The scooter does exactly that.
Whether I am going through congested streets, stopping frequently or making quick trips around the city, the electric drivetrain makes the experience remarkably effortless.
There is also something satisfying about being able to leave home without worrying about petrol prices.
Versatility Is Another Big Plus
I also like how versatile the scooter has become in my daily routine.
It isn’t just a vehicle that I take out for a recreational ride. It has become a practical transportation tool.
Going to the market? Take the scooter.
Running an errand? Take the scooter.
Going somewhere within the city? The scooter is usually the easiest option.
After 4,050 km, that convenience has become one of its biggest selling points.
But The Suspension Is A Problem
Now let’s talk about the things I don’t like.
The biggest complaint I have with this scooter is its suspension.
Pakistan’s roads are not exactly designed around soft, comfortable suspension systems, and this scooter struggles when the road gets rough.
Potholes, broken patches and uneven surfaces can make the ride unnecessarily harsh.
This is one area where a conventional motorcycle still has a major advantage. A properly set-up motorcycle with larger wheels and better suspension components simply deals with bad roads more confidently.
Ground Clearance Is Another Weak Point
The second issue is low ground clearance.
It is something you don’t necessarily think about when buying an electric scooter, but after thousands of kilometres, you start noticing it.
Speed breakers and uneven roads require more attention. You can’t attack them the same way you might on a motorcycle with more clearance.
For a city with relatively smooth roads, this isn’t a major problem. For Pakistani roads, however, I would definitely prefer a little more clearance.
The Eight-Hour Charging Time
This is probably the biggest practical disadvantage compared with petrol.
My scooter takes around 8 hours to charge.
That means charging isn’t something you can casually do when you’re in a hurry. You have to plan around it.
The good news is that if you use the scooter primarily for commuting, overnight charging solves most of the problem.
Come home, plug it in and leave it overnight.
But if you’re travelling more frequently or covering long distances every day, the charging time becomes much more noticeable.
Petrol still wins this battle by a huge margin.
Performance Drops As The Battery Goes Down
Another thing I have noticed during these 4,050 kilometres is the drop in performance as the battery level falls.
When the battery is healthy and sufficiently charged, the scooter feels reasonably responsive.
But as the battery percentage drops, the performance starts falling with it.
Acceleration becomes weaker and the scooter doesn’t feel as energetic.
This is one of the characteristics that can take some getting used to if you’re coming from a petrol motorcycle.
With a petrol bike, you generally get fairly consistent performance until you run out of fuel. With this scooter, you become much more conscious of the battery percentage.
But What About Running Cost?
This is where the electric scooter becomes very difficult for petrol-powered motorcycles to compete with.
The battery has a nominal capacity of:
72V × 32Ah = 2.304 kWh
With a real-world range of approximately 65–70 km, the scooter theoretically consumes around 0.033–0.035 kWh per kilometre.
However, electricity drawn from the wall is higher than the battery’s nominal capacity because charging isn’t 100% efficient. If we allow roughly 15% charging losses, the practical energy requirement is approximately 0.038–0.041 kWh/km.
Using Lahore’s current residential electricity tariff as a reference, the applicable rate depends heavily on your household’s monthly slab. The current residential schedule ranges from low protected rates to around Rs 47.20 per unit for consumption above 700 units, while the 301–400 unit slab is around Rs 36.46 per unit.
Using Rs 36.46 per unit as a reasonable example:
0.038–0.041 kWh/km × Rs 36.46 = approximately Rs 1.4–1.5 per kilometre.
At the highest residential slab of Rs 47.20 per unit, it becomes roughly:
Rs 1.8–1.9 per kilometre.
So, realistically, I would put the electricity-only running cost of this scooter at around Rs 1.5–2 per kilometre, depending on your electricity slab and charging losses.
Over 4,050 km, that works out to roughly Rs 6,000–8,000 in electricity.
That is an extremely low running cost for a vehicle.
One important caveat: this is the energy cost only. It doesn’t include battery depreciation, tyres, servicing, electricity fixed charges or other ownership costs.
4,050 KM Later: Would I Still Buy It?
Yes—but with conditions.
I wouldn’t recommend an electric scooter to someone who expects the performance, suspension, range flexibility and refuelling convenience of a petrol motorcycle.
That’s simply not what this vehicle is designed to provide.
But if your life revolves around city commuting, and you value easy riding, low running costs, manoeuvrability and simplicity, an electric scooter makes a surprisingly strong case.
After 4,050 kilometres, I have learned that its biggest strengths aren’t necessarily the things manufacturers put on the brochure.
It’s the fact that I can jump on it, twist the throttle and effortlessly move through traffic without thinking about gears, clutch or petrol.
At the same time, I have learned to live with its weaknesses: poor suspension, low ground clearance, an eight-hour charging requirement and reduced performance as the battery drains.
So, after 4,050 km, my verdict is simple:
An electric scooter isn’t a replacement for every motorcycle—but for the right kind of rider, it can be an incredibly practical daily machine.
And after more than four thousand kilometres, I can confidently say that I understand why.
