After Ola acquired the Etergo BV, an electric scooter OEM based in Amsterdam, Netherlands in May 2020, the company had released its plan about entering the Indian electric vehicle market. Ola has now finally taken the big step by launching its eclectic S1 and S1 Pro e-scooters. The highly anticipated electric scooter from Ola has been launched on Independence Day, at an attractive price tag of Rs 99,999 and Rs 1,29,999, respectively. These prices are ex-showroom, inclusive of FAME II subsidy, but excluding state subsidy, the state subsidy will further bring down the cost. If the government’s plan of not charging road tax on electric vehicles is to be believed, then this scooter can seriously pose a danger to the market leaders such as Honda Activa 125 and TVS Jupiter. Here is the Ola electric scooter review.
Specifications and Range
Both S1 and S1 Pro have an impressive claimed range of 121 km and 181 km, respectively, and this has been achieved without cutting any corners in the technological department. The models get a 2.98 kWh unit power battery for S1 and the S1 Pro gets a 3.97 kWh battery pack, giving a total kerb weight of 121 kg and 125 kg respectively. The vehicle gets its power through a Hyperdrive motor™ which produces a peak power output of 8.5kW. Performance-wise, it has a class-leading 0-40kph acceleration time of 3sec (S1 Pro) and a 0-60kph time of 5 sec (S1 Pro), which is higher than any scooter on sale in India today. The vehicle gets two riding modes called Normal and Sports, which will give you a balance between range and power, as per the requirements. The scooter can hit a top speed of 115kph and a single-sided suspension, equipped with disk brakes, supports the whole structure.
Features and Charging time
A large TFT display dominates the central display, which has almost become the industry standard these days. It has tons of information on board including navigation, multiple riders profiles, and a lot of customization options. Being an electric scooter, it proudly displays a read-out that tells how much CO2 release you have avoided on a single ride. The scooter gets a reverse feature that makes maneuvering easy and has a keyless go system like proximity unlock feature. The scooter is silent, but you can choose a customizable sound output through onboard speakers. The Pro version gets a hill-hold function with all LED lighting. The charging time for S1 and S1 Pro is a claimed 4.48 hours and 6.30 hours, respectively, which is done through a portable charger. The company has plans to open the Ola Hypercharger network. If plans are successful then Ola claims that it will be the world’s largest, densest, fastest 2W charging network with 1 lakh locations across 400 cities. It will provide a 75 km of range in just 18 minutes.
Rival comparison
From the price point of view, the Ola S1 and S1 pro starts at the 1 lakh INR mark(ex-showroom Delhi) and undercut the rivals in the market that are currently on sale. Competitors like the TVS iQube (Rs 1.01 lakh), Bajaj Chetak (Rs 1.42 lakh), and the Ather 450 (starts at Rs 1.13 lakh). If we calculate the state government subsidy and the proposed road tax exemption, it can give serious competition to petrol-powered scooters such as Honda Activa. Specification wise also, the Ola range is much better than Bajaj, TVS, and Anther in terms of range, power, and charging time. With the proposed Hyper charging network, the Ola electric scooter is presenting itself as a great proportion in the market.
Conclusion
So this was the Ola electric scooter review. There are no two doubts about the future, the future is electric and the launch of new electric vehicles in India is providing the consumers with some great options. The cost-saving advantage is too good to be ignored and can be a boon for lower-income group families. The new Ola S1 and S1 pro promise the same and are keen to create a revolution in the Indian electric vehicle market. The new pair has some impressive specifications as compared to already launched electric scooters in the market. Since it is a new player, we have to wait and watch about the market performance and other gremlins that it might showcase. Considering all that, the Ola pair is a great option to enter the EV world.
