If you've ridden an EV motorcycle by now, you probably have some idea of how much fun they can be. As I've said before, there's something extremely intoxicating and more-ish about instantly available torque. Even if the EV motorcycle or scooter you're riding can't reach highway speeds, the fact that you can be so quick off the line will put a smile on most people's faces when they try it.
But after that initial jolt of pleasure when you first take off from a dead stop, if you're thinking of owning an EV motorcycle, you might start to wonder about battery life. In the 21st century, by now most of us are familiar with the ups and downs of battery-powered devices. They're great when they're working, but what happens when your batteries will no longer hold at least 80 percent of a full charge? Whether it's your phone, your handheld gaming console, or your laptop, it's a problem.
If you're able to replace it, that's one thing. But with EVs, replacement batteries can be prohibitively expensive. That can also make the secondhand options for EVs a bit less attractive, as well. On the motorcycle side of things, so far, this is one area that EV OEMs haven't really addressed.
That is, until now.
In April 2025, an Indian EV motorcycle maker called Oben Electric has just announced a battery warranty program that's sure to intrigue potential buyers in that market. It's called the Protect 8/80 plan, which is Oben's way of saying that if you purchase one of its Rorr EZ electric motorcycles, the battery will have a warranty for either eight years or 80,000 kilometers (about 49,709 miles); whichever comes first.
This warranty will cost an additional 9,999 INR, which works out to about US $117 at the time of writing. Given the price of most replacement EV batteries on their own, that seems like a small price to pay—especially since Oben says this warranty will be transferrable if you sell your Rorr EZ to someone else. Suddenly, the used EV bike market looks more viable with a move like this! At least, for this brand of bike, but maybe other OEMs will follow in Oben's footsteps? Here's hoping.
Seriously, if EV OEMs are looking for additional ways to allay the fears of EV skeptics, a program like this is a great way to do it. Since Oben hasn't been around for very long, it remains to be seen how well this plan will work out for them. However, it also projects a strong confidence in their product, particularly since Oben makes its own batteries in-house.
If you're in India, do you think Oben's new battery warranty program will convince more people to buy a Rorr EZ? And whether you're in India or not, do you think that more EV motorbike makers should follow suit and offer battery warranty programs like this? Let us know in the comments.
