Ola Electric launches scooter at a disruptive Rs 99,999

Ola Electric has launched its S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters at Rs 99,999 and Rs 129,999, respectively. These prices are ex-showroom, including FAME II subsidy, but excluding state subsidy.

The much-awaited electric scooter from Ola has been launched at a very competitive and disruptive price-tag. Once you factor in the additional benefits from the various state subsidies, the price will be even lower. With the government’s recent announcement that EVs will not be charged road tax, the base Ola Electric scooter could end up costing less than the likes of even the conventional petrol-engined Honda Activa 125 on-road. The company says deliveries are set to begin from October 2021.

Specifications and range
Ola Electric hasn’t achieved this with cutting costs when it comes to the specifications, as the S1 and S1 Pro have an impressive claimed range of 121km and 181km, respectively; these are likely to be ARAI numbers.

Both scooters get fixed batteries, with the S1 getting a 2.98kWh unit and the S1 Pro getting a 3.92kWh battery. In comparison, the Ather 450X has a battery capacity of 2.9kWh. Kerb weight figures, meanwhile, stand at 121kg and 125kg.

Powering the Ola Electric scooter is what the company calls a ‘Hyperdrive motor’, which produces a peak power output of 8.5kW. This is significantly more than the 6kW of peak power the Ather 450X puts out. The S1 has a claimed top speed of 90kph, while the S1 Pro will max out at 115kph. Ola is also claiming a best-in-class 0-40kph acceleration time of 3sec (S1 Pro) and a 0-60kph time of 5sec (S1 Pro), which is comfortably higher than any scooter on sale in India today. Both scooters have an impressive torque figure of 58Nm.

The Ola S1 gets two riding modes – Normal and Sports – while the S1 Pro benefits from an additional riding mode called Hyper, which will likely be the one in which it hits its top speed of 115kph. The Ola Electric scooter uses single-sided suspension and disc brakes, as well as 110/70-R12 MRF tyres, at both ends.

Features and technology
The Ola Electric scooter features a large TFT display that shows a host of information, including navigation. This display also lets you toggle between rider profiles, allowing for individual customisation. Another neat feature is the read-out that lets you see how much CO2 you have avoided.

Like other scooters in the segment, this one gets a reverse mode as well. In addition to that, it has a proximity unlock that starts up the scooter as you approach it. The scooter can be used in silent mode or emit a sound that is customisable – this is likely to be done through onboard speakers, similar to the EV from Revolt.

The S1 Pro variant gets a hill hold function, cruise control and voice assistant functions; these aren’t available on the S1. While both, the S1 and S1 Pro, get all-LED lighting, the former is limited to just five body colours, with the Pro getting 10 options.

Charging time taken
The S1 and S1 Pro come with a portable home charger that can fully charge the scooters in a claimed 4.48 hours and 6.30 hours, respectively. The company has plans to develop an Ola Hypercharger network, which it claims will be “the world’s largest, densest, fastest 2W charging network with 1 lakh locations across 400 cities.” With this charger, the company promises adding a claimed 75km range in 18 minutes.

Ola Electric scooter vs rivals
With a starting price of Rs 1 lakh, the Ola electric scooter undercuts Delhi prices of rivals like the TVS iQube (Rs 1.01 lakh), Bajaj Chetak (Rs 1.42 lakh) and the Ather 450 (starts at Rs 1.13 lakh). 

Ex-showroom Delhi prices for India’s best-selling scooter, the Honda Activa 6G ranges between Rs 69,080-72,325, while the more-powerful Activa 125 will set you back by Rs 72,637-79,760, depending on the variant.