Indian start-up Ola Electric will introduce a range of vehicles in the UK by 2025, following the rapid roll-out of its first product, the S1 scooter, in its home market.
Alongside the ‘premium’ S1, Ola will offer a cheaper scooter and a car in the next three years, both in the UK and other markets globally.
Its longer-term plans include a number of four-wheel vehicles, stretching from those that “address urban use scenarios” to others that “have greater [driving] ranges and greater capabilities”, explained design chief Wayne Burgess.
The Brit, who in a previous role at Jaguar worked on cars including the F-Type and XF, is leading Ola’s designers both at its headquarters in Bangalore and at the technical centre in Coventry that was opened in January.
The firm said it will invest £100 million over the next five years into the Warwickshire site, employing more than 200 automotive designers and engineers.
Best known for its ride-hailing and food delivery service, Ola is now aiming to revolutionise the EV market by making it accessible to all.
Marketing boss Varun Dubey said: “There are three things an Ola product must have: the best design in its category, the best technology – for example, the S1 comes with cruise control – and the best performance.
“Our vision is to be a global EV company, and our timing ambitions are fast. We started in 2016, before it was cool to be electric. We started trying to understand swappable batteries and a bunch of other experiments.
“From there, we learned that if you want to do this really well, you need to look at the big picture. Outside of North America, the rest of the world moves on two wheels. But the world of electric mobility isn’t going to be monolithic. You might own a two-wheeler or a car, or both, or use a ride-hail [service] sometimes.”