Okinawa Ridge is here to provide mobility in a new way to the mass market as we help bust all the myths around the electric scooter.
We were doing some research on Electric vehicles, it’s the new thing in town. 2030 and the government wants 90% electrification. So while we were in Delhi NCR, fortunately, we got to see Okinawa Ridge hitting the road. Found out more about the same and realized this is the story our publication was looking forward to.
Okinawa is a Gurgaon based company called Okinawa Auto tech Pvt Ltd launched the electric scooter called Ridge in January 2017. The very first impression that it gave us is that it is clearly different from other scooters and that there is a high possibility that it could be better than any other conventional E-scooters that is already available in India. So finally we got the opportunity to ride the Ridge for a few days and needless to say we had an amazing experience.
The Okinawa Ridge looks similar to the Honda Dio because of the headlamp that is integrated beautifully in the front apron. The clear lens turn indicators have been differently placed that is embedded in the faring unit. The tail lamp also features a bright LED unit which is a very useful feature when it comes to dull lit roads. Overall, in terms of design, we can say that the scooter is in the matured state and offers right balance and is pleasing to the eye.
Unlike other electric scooters, the Okinawa Ridge is made of supreme quality as they have used extremely good plastic on the bike which is well integrated into one another and without any gaps in the panel. The paint quality is actually pretty impressive for an electric scooter hence giving it an upmarket feel. The quality of the switchgear is also good and all the switches work completely fine. The ridge also has quite the boot space. This space is more than enough for your daily chores and this space is located under the seat.
Coming to the mechanics of the Okinawa Ridge, the scooter is powered by an 800W electric motor which is powered by a 60V/24Ah valve regulated lead acid battery which produces 1.07 bhp. The normal charging duration is around 6-7 hours. There is also a fast charging option available which takes just 2 hours to top up the battery. The braking duties are carried out by drum brakes on both sides along with tubeless tires fitted with alloy wheels and, in the city, it is really easy to handle and also it offers better road grip.
Climbing flyovers with a passenger or additional luggage is a downright easy task for the Okinawa Ridge and that was we saw that too when we were in Delhi. Two passengers and what looked like almost 150 kgs in total with a bit of luggage climbing a steep flyover without any problem, which is usually a myth with electric scooters seemed like an easy task.
Not only this, we captured their riding experience as far as we could manage to record. We saw how effortless the pickup from a red light as the torque of the electric motor is delivered instantly. Ground clearance wasn’t an issue as almost 150 kgs of payload didn’t bog it down. We actually felt like stopping them & take their feedback which was not possible in so much traffic on the road at that time. Look at the video below to witness.
https://www.facebook.com/ThrustZone/videos/2054453751456333/
The Okinawa Ridge has 2 driving modes. One is the Eco and the other is the sport. On the Eco mode the scooter can achieve a speed of 35kmph and for the Sport mode it reaches up to 55kmph. In one charge the Ridge can travel up to 85kms (Eco Mode) and if sped the figure could drop around 60kms (Sport Mode).
The instrument cluster is fully digital and it consists of speedometer, odometer, battery indicator and a pseudo rev meter. Even in the peak afternoon the display and the details are clearly visible. Coming to the area where the Ridge outshines its rivals is that the scooter comes with telescopic front forks and dual shock absorbers at the rear. Minor potholes and speed breakers are dealt with easily. So overall, we can say that the maneuverability and stability are much better than any other e-scooter in the market.
To conclude about the Okinawa Ridge offers a wide seat and also offers a comfortable ride for the pillion on board. A overall feature list as we told you is excellent too. At Rs. 42,400 ex-showroom, the Okinawa Ridge is an excellent choice to buy and really good value for your money. After the launch of the Praise and seeing what can the Ridge E-scooter can do, we look forward to reading them and experience the change that the world is about to witness. Okinawa is going to be a big part of it.
