Months after Ola said it was building the world’s largest scooter manufacturing facility, it announced the launch of the Ola S1, the first in its range of electric two-wheelers. With this, Ola takes on brands such as Hero MotoCorp and even established brands in the electric vehicle (EV) scooter space such as Ather Energy.
This comes as the Union government makes a push towards EVs in a market that is heavily dependent on petrol. In a blog post, Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal said that 80% of the vehicles sold in India today are two-wheelers, and despite that, only 12% of India owns a two-wheeler. “These vehicles consume 12,000 cr liters of fuel every year and are responsible for 40% of air pollution,” he said.
When Ola opened up pre-registrations for its bike a month ago, it said it received a record 1 lakh registrations on just the first day. And to meet this demand, Ola also said that phase 1 of its Futurefactory is near completion.
Here’s everything you need to know about Ola’s new scooters:
>The scooters are available in 2 variants–S1 and S1 Pro – and in 10 colours with satin, matte and glossy finishes. It has twin headlamps, an ergonomic and fluidic body, alloy wheels, and a boot space that fits two helmets.
>The Ola S1 starts at Rs 99,999. This does not include state government incentives, registration and insurance, according to Ola. The price could come down in states with individual state subsidies, but it is inclusive of FAME II subsidies.
>The Ola S1 has a top speed of 90 kmph, a range of 121 km, and can go from 0-40 km in 3.6 seconds. Ola said that its fast-charging time will give it 75 km in 18 minutes, and home charging time is 4 hours and 48 minutes. Similarly, the Ola S1 Pro has a top speed of 115 kmph, with a range of 181 km, and takes 3 seconds to go from 0-40 km. It too has a fast charging time of 75 km in 18 minutes, and a home charging time of 6 hours and 30 minutes.
>The S1 has a 2.9 kWh battery, but the S1 Pro comes equipped with a larger 3.9 kWh battery. However, it is unclear how much heavier the S1 Pro will be due to this. Ola said its proprietary Battery Management System (BMS) will actively monitor the battery for optimal durability, performance, range, and safety.
> Ola S1 Pro comes with Normal and Sport modes for driving. According to Ola, the Sport mode pushes the Ola S1 pro to go from 0-60kmph in 5 seconds. For the S1, this same comes in at 7 seconds.
> It also comes with an 8.5 kW motor, which Ola Electric says is the most powerful in the industry, has high thermal efficiency, and has “unparalleled peak power and torque”.
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> Ola Electric said the scooter comes with proximity unlocking for a keyless experience with smart onboard sensors that communicate with your phone and unlock your scooter when you are in range and automatically locking it as you leave. “The scooters also come with voice recognition that enables you to complete your key tasks quickly without having to bother with navigating the menu,” Ola said.
> Ola said the scooters offer a customised vehicle sound experience as it is a silent scooter, and the sound is played out through integrated speakers.
> Ola Electric said its safety and security features include an anti-theft alert system and geo-fencing. “The front and rear disc brakes keep the rider safe in a city’s stop and go traffic, while ‘Hill Hold’ feature makes navigating inclines easy,” it said.
> Ola S1 will be open for purchase from September 8, 2021. The company is looking to deliver across 1,000 cities and towns in October.
In an interview at the launch, Bhavish Aggarwal said that after 2025, no petrol two-wheeler should be sold in the country.
"We have to build in India and make the country a global leader in electrification...and I believe the entire Indian industry should come together towards this ambition...there are a lot of naysayers but we need to make it happen and that is the spirit we work with,” he said.