While automotive factions worldwide are increasingly adopting EV tech, it’s the Italians who still seem to be reluctant to adopt the idea of silent combustion. Of course, there are exceptions, but I reckon they look at electric mobility through a different lens. A simpler powertrain that allows them to focus on the more important bits – like styling.
That is my take on the VLF Tennis electric scooter. An authentic Italian scooter with EV sensibilities brought to India by Kolhapur-based automotive brand Motohaus. From the looks of it, the VLF Tennis is as Italian as pizza. However, does it have the practicality to survive the tough Indian landscape and even tougher Indian customers?
When it comes to automotive design, you gotta hand it over to the Italians. The VLF has those quintessential design lines and proportions. A slim apron, sharp headlamp, swooping tail, floating seat. It does remind me of the Lambretta, especially with the long front fender, square headlamp, and longish side panels – an ode to the iconic scooter perhaps? Then there are the little bits, like the LED DLRs that surround exposed LED projector bulbs, the floating instrument console that looks like a glass slab, or the unique industrial-looking grab rail.
The Tennis feels like a concept electric scooter come to life. Its concept-like styling does bring forth one issue though – its tiny seat. The seat length might be fine for slim Italians but not for two average Indian individuals. That said, the seat is plenty wide and at 780mm accommodating for average-height riders as well. The battery pack too takes up significant underseat storage space which, given the scooter’s compact dimensions, isn’t that much to begin with.
Features-wise, VLF have kept it simple. The switchgear is straightforward and easy to use and the 5-inch colour-TFT instrument console has a clean and premium-looking layout. It is easy to read but could do with a brighter screen. A cool feature is the start switch that hides a slot for the key. It gets all-LED lighting, Bluetooth connectivity, three riding modes and a removable battery but that is about it.
Overseas, the Tennis is available with two electric motor configurations but in India, we get the smaller 1.5kW motor configuration which delivers a peak power of 2.1kW. Performance is enthusiastic though, which can partly be attributed to the scooter’s 88kg weight which makes it one of the lightest electric scooters around. While top speed is capped at 65kmph, the scooter feels energetic up to 40kmph. It gets three ride modes – Eco, Comfort and Sport. While Sport mode is the most enthusiastic, Comfort mode is not that far behind with the tradeoff being a slight reduction in top speed.
It gets a 2.5kW removable battery pack which helps offer a claimed range of around 130km. There is no fast charging on offer though the claimed charging time is just three hours. The charger is inconveniently placed under the seat in a narrow slot between the seat hinge and battery pack and accessing it will require navigating around the battery cable. Why not have it somewhere on the external bodywork where it is easily accessible? While the performance is fine, I do wish for more and hope the Tennis with the larger 4kW motor is launched here as the handling surely can back it up.
The handling is another big draw for the electric scooter. The compact dimensions along with some clever engineering mean this is one fun scooter to ride. The Tennis sits on a tubular frame with telescopic forks and a cantilever-style monoshock besides 12-inch wheels shod with 100-section front and 110-section rear tyres. The suspension is on the firmer side and aids the scooter’s sporty handling. It is quite flickable and should be a hoot to ride in city traffic. For braking, it gets disc brakes on both ends.
Tennis’s appeal lies in its cool design and niche positioning. However, unlike other stratospherically priced niche electric scooters, at Rs 1.30 lakh ex-showroom, this one is quite attainable. Sure, there is room for improvement like more performance and a longer seat. Will it find takers? Only time can tell. But if the Aprilia SR series of scooters could garner a following, why not this? The bottom line is, if you are in the market for a fun electric scooter, the VLF Tennis is your most affordable ticket to exclusivity and individualism.
