Ola S1 Electric Scooter Launched At Rs 99,999

On India’s 75th Independence Day, Ola Electric’s founder and CEO just announced a new electric scooter which will join the company’s portfolio - the S1

What is its price? Who are its rivals?

The S1 is Ola Electric’s most affordable offering till date, with an introductory price tag of Rs 99,999 (ex-showroom). That makes it significantly more affordable than any of the other premium electric scooters currently available in India such as the Bajaj Chetak, the Ather 450X and even its own sibling, the Ola S1 Pro. 

This pricing makes it even more affordable than the base model of the Simple One and even the Okinawa iPraise+. The Ola S1 will primarily compete with offerings from Okinawa and Hero Electric among others, while offering the premium feel and features of more expensive electric scooters.

What’s new?

Visually, the S1 looks no different from its more premium sibling, the S1 Pro, and even dimensionally, there’s no difference. That’s because both scooters are built on the same platform. So, expect the same kind of build quality and features like LED lighting, massive 36-litre under-seat storage. It even has the same underpinnings like the single-sided front suspension. 

Even the motor specs are unchanged and the S1 gets the same 5.5kW electric motor with a peak output of 8.5kW like the S1 Pro. But where it differs is the size of the battery pack. Instead of the 4kWh Lithium-ion battery pack from the S1 Pro, this S1 only gets a 3kWh Lithium-ion pack. 

Thanks to the smaller battery, it has slightly reduced performance and range. Ola says the S1 gets an ARAI certified range of 141km, while the true range is 101km in ‘Normal Mode’, 128km in ‘Eco’, and 90km in ‘Sports’. 

In terms of performance, it can accelerate from zero to 40kmph in 3.8 seconds and zero to 60kmph in 5.9 seconds. In comparison, the S1 Pro does the same in 2.9 and 4.5 seconds, respectively. Top speed of the S1 is 95kmph. But the advantages of a smaller battery pack is a 4kg lighter kerb weight (at 121kg) and quicker charging (0 to 100 per cent in five hours).

But the beauty of the S1 is that even though it’s the more budget offering from Ola, it still gets a 7-inch colour TFT touchscreen instrument cluster with MoveOS features like Music Playback, Navigation, Companion App, and Reverse Mode. And with MoveOS 3.0 coming this Diwali, we imagine there’ll be more features coming to the S1 with time.

ZigSays

The Ola S1 definitely sounds like a great deal considering its offering almost all the features of premium electric scooters at a much more affordable price. Bookings for the S1 are now open at Rs 499 on the Ola App. That said, this super attractive price will only be available for a limited period (till August 31, 2022), so potential customers will need to hurry to get their hands on one. What should make this an even more attractive option is the fact that in light of recent technical issues faced by Ola’s electric scooters, the company will be offering a purchasable 5-year extended warranty on the battery, motor and electrical components. You’ll be able to get the S1 in five attractive colours - Porcelain White, Jet Black, Neo Mint, Coral Glam and Liquid Silver. Doorstep deliveries for Ola S1 will start from September 7 onwards, pan-India.