River Indie Electric Scooter: Don't Buy
I test-drove the River Indie, and I wouldn’t buy it. I’d buy an Ather instead:
- 17-inch laptop bag does not fit. It doesn’t fit in any electric scooter, but it’s worth calling out here since River bills the Indie as the SUV of scooters.
- Turn indicators didn’t go off when I completed the turn.
- Turn indicators did not turn on when I thought I turned them on.
- The scooter is heavy and hard to push backward with my legs, unlike an Ather, which is toy-like in comparison. And toy-like in a good way: light, fun.
- The brakes are uneven
- There’s an ugly exposed motorcycle-style handlebar
- River has zero first-party charging stations
- No app
- No touch screen
- Fit and finish not as good as Ather
- Does not look as good as Ather.
- River has sold only 3000 scooters, and buying from a startup is risky compared to an established company like Ather or TVS. What if River fails?
- There are so many missing features as compared to an Ather.