Electric two-wheeler maker Simple Energy is shifting gears from performance-focused scooters to the more mass-market family segment, betting that utility, rather than outright speed, can help it unlock a much larger customer base.
The Bengaluru-based company is entering the segment with the Simple Wave, which will be offered in multiple battery and display configurations, with prices starting at about ₹1,09,999 (ex-showroom) . The company is positioning the scooter around a feature it believes remains underserved in the market: storage. The company will launch multiple variants of the scooter: Wave S, Wave, and Wave Plus.
The Wave comes with a claimed 70-litre boot space, significantly higher than the storage capacity offered by competing family scooters, according to founder and CEO Suhas Rajkumar. An additional side compartment provides about four litres of accessible storage without requiring the main boot to be opened.
“Family scooters” have also been a recurring demand from Simple’s dealer network and customers, Rajkumar said, with existing One customers seeking a more practical scooter for spouses, siblings and parents.
The move could significantly reshape Simple’s sales mix. The company currently has about 65 stores and plans to take this to 160-170 by March. It expects the Wave and other family-oriented models to account for 75-80% of its portfolio by then, with the One contributing about 20%.
Simple plans to enter mass production this month, with first deliveries expected towards the end of September. Production is targeted to scale to 10,000-12,000 scooters a month by March, across the portfolio.
(From left) Shreshth Mishra, Co-Founder, Simple Energy; Suhas Rajkumar, Founder and CEO; and Ankit Gupta, Co-Founder and CFO, at the launch of Simple Wave
The company is also betting that the Wave can improve its financial profile. Rajkumar said the model was heavily value-engineered to keep contribution margins healthy and that Simple expects to turn EBITDA-positive in the first quarter of FY27. He expects industry contribution margins to improve to 18-25 per cent over the next 12 months, while Simple continues to target higher gross margins over the longer term.
However, commodity inflation remains a pressure point. While lithium-ion battery prices have softened, Rajkumar said higher prices of aluminium, copper and steel have offset much of the benefit.
Simple Wave’s prices start at about ₹1,09,999 (ex-showroom)
With an IPO still on the roadmap, Simple now has to prove that its bet on the family scooter can translate into the scale, margins and financial strength needed for its next phase of growth.