OLA Electric launched its maiden offerings, the S1 and the S1 Pro in Bengaluru today, on the 75th Independence Day, signifying freedom from petrol-related woes, something of a personal mission for founder Bhavish Aggarwal.
Launched at Rs 99,999, for the S1 and Rs 1,29,999 for the more powerful and long-range S1 Pro, both scooters will serve as the new industry benchmark, featuring, according to Aggarwal, “the best design, the best tech, and the best performance” on any e-scooter in the world.
The prices, at present, are inclusive of FAME II subsidies but exclude individual state subsidies, which will lower the prices considerably. For example, with Gujarat’s state subsidy applied, the price of the Ola S1 comes down to Rs 79,999 (on-road). Similarly, the subsidy in Delhi brings the price down to Rs 85,099 while the Maharashtra subsidy policy, once ratified, will bring the price down to approximately Rs 89,999.
While the scooters available at the launch, serve as pre-production models, they feature some of the same color schemes that will be available on the production models which will be available for online purchase from the 8th of September, with deliveries set to begin in October.
While the S1 comes with five color schemes, the S1 Pro gets 10, with the option of a metallic finish on five. With bookings having been made pan-India, Ola Electric intends to make the scooters available in 1000 cities simultaneously instead of going for the phase-by-phase approach taken by competitors who launched e-scooters in dominant markets Tier 1 cities.
Power and Performance
Both scooters feature the same design, and an identical electric motor producing a peak power of 8.5 kW. However, while the S1 features a 2.9 kWh battery, the S1 Pro has a considerably larger 3.9 kWh battery giving the latter a claimed range of 181km, as per the government-approved India Drive Cycle (IDC) range-testing method. How much weight the increased battery size adds to the S1 Pro remains undisclosed by the brand.
The S1 has a claimed range of 121km, which is also higher than anything currently offered by the competition, while the S1 has a top speed of 90 kph, the S1 Pro gets an extended top-speed of 115 kph making it the fastest electric scooter in the world, according to the brand.
Apart from the ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ riding modes which are standard across both scooters, the S1 Pro gets a ‘Hyper’ riding mode, unleashing the unrestricted accelerative prowess of the scooter which, according to the brand, propels the S1 Pro from 0-60 kph in a staggering 5 seconds. The Ola S1 is not too far behind hitting 60 kph in 7 seconds.
Another in a series of pioneering features is a ‘Reverse mode’ and ‘Hill Hold’ feature. The latter automatically detect sloping surfaces and holds the scooter in position without the need for the rider to engage the brake or hold the scooter in place using their feet.
The ‘Reverse mode’ isn’t just missing on all-electric scooters, it’s a feature missing from most premium motorcycles, some of which weigh upwards of 300 kg (cruiser, bagger-style motorcycles). The only conventional ICE motorcycle to debut the reverse gear feature has been the Honda Goldwing, a luxury touring bike that has a starting price of Rs 37.2 lakh (ex-showroom) in India.
Software Features
Aggarwal, who has been unequivocal in his claim that the Ola Scooter is not just the best electric scooter, but the “best scooter in the world”, is backing it with software features that serve as industry-firsts. To begin with, the brand has made it clear, the scooter is completely keyless and doesn’t have a key inlet or a key fob. Instead, it can be unlocked via a dedicated smartphone app, or by entering a code, much like you would unlock your phone.
In addition to this, it gets a highly customizable digital, touchscreen display which allows the rider to customize riding modes, digital interfaces, and sounds that are artificially emitted from front-fascia mounted speakers, tapping into pop-cultural themes associated with electric vehicles, including sci-fi whistles while including accelerative sounds infused with tanpura notes, and bird sounds denoting its environmentally-friendly, zero-emission nature.
As part of its proprietary operating system MoveOS, the scooter also gets multiple rider profiles for individual users, which includes a Parental mode allowing authority figures in a family to set a speed limit and track the movements of the scooters should they wish to.
Each rider mode, once selected, pre-loads the sound, visual and riding mode as per individual preferences. In addition to this Ola has also confirmed that the scooter comes with an SOS function that can notify medical services and authorities in the event of an accident. More details are awaited on how this feature activates and functions and how effective it is in the real world.
Maintenance
Aggarwal has claimed that the per kilometer running costs of the scooters will be roughly 1/3rd of 1/4 that of a petrol-powered scooter. While a battery warranty period has not been revealed yet, Aggarwal is quick to assure that the battery lifespan will outlast the average ownership period in urban centers by a considerable margin, with the brand’s proprietary battery technology making it last up to 7-8 years. Aggarwal hasn’t discounted the notion that they will be able to replace the battery after such a period (at an undisclosed cost).
The battery, along with the software, design tech, etc, has all been designed and built in-house at the Bengaluru-based Ola Future factory, which in its current Phase-1, is equipped to deploy 1 million Ola scooters. Claiming 90% localization, Aggarwal, who is a great proponent of local manufacturing, claims that, except for battery cells, which are being imported from Korea, almost all other materials, software, etc have been sourced locally.
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