Startup Vs Legacy

The iQube comes from a tried-and-tested automaker with skin in the game, whereas the S1 Pro is a rebel looking to shake up the established order. Who wins?

- DHRUV PALIWAL

Every major shift in personal technology brings about new players in the game, who are eager to challenge and change the ways of the past. Take the shift from the internal combustion engine to the electric motor, for instance. On one side of the coin, we have legacy manufacturers like

TVS a brand well known for selling brilliantly engineered scooters and motorcycles. On the flip side of the coin, however, are start-ups like Ola Electric - a brand that's looking to revolutionise personal mobility by not just starting afresh as an EV manufacturer but by completely reinventing what a scooter could look and feel like. So, to find out where things stand, we spent a few days with the TVS iQube S and Ola S1 Pro, and here's what we learnt.

THE S1 PRO LOOKS BETTER

Ola has taken the liberty of starting from scratch, and the result is frankly quite impressive. The S1 Pro is a handsome scooter that looks quite modern. Personally, I see in it a hint of Vespas of the past, but there is no doubt that the Ola S1 Pro has that personality that makes you not want to take your eyes off it. In fact, people seem to be quite fascinated by it something that we learnt during the test. There is something about the way it looks that really captures your attention. I think the clever touch here is the headlamp - a dual LED lamp unit, with one lamp for low beam and the other for high beam, which looks very futuristic.