Ola Steps Into The EV World, Starts Testing Electric Scooters In India

(UPDATE: The Ola Electric S1 has been launched in India at Rs 99,999 onwards. For bookings, availability, specifications and other details, read the launch story)

• Ola will manufacture the scooter in its Tamil Nadu plant.
• It draws power from a 3kW motor which produces 50Nm of torque.
• Features LED lighting and a touchscreen TFT display.

In May 2020, Ola made a public announcement about acquiring the Dutch start-up, Etergo. It would subsequently launch its first electric scooter for the Indian market to compete with the Ather 450X, Bajaj Chetak, and the TVS iQube Electric. Ola's electric scooter has finally been spotted testing in a private facility, probably in Tamil Nadu. Ola had signed an MoU with the Tamil Nadu Government in December 2020 to set up a new plant. 

The spy shots reveal an almost production-ready scooter, hinting at an imminent launch. From a design standpoint, the scooter adopts a minimalistic approach with clean, sweeping lines. It features LED lights all around and a full-digital touchscreen instrument console with turn-by-turn navigation. One can also control the screen from the switchgear present at both sides of the handlebar.

Powering the Ola electric scooter will be a 3kW brushless AC motor with a peak output of around 6kW and 50Nm. These numbers might make the upcoming offering one of the fastest electric scooters in our market. 

But, what about going the distance? Fret not, the Ola e-scooter is expected to have a minimum range of over 200km (if it uses the same swappable three-battery setup from the Etergo, each with 1.6kWh of capacity and about 80km range). The clever banana-battery design ensures there's plenty of room under the seat. To put things in perspective, the scooter has 50 litres of under-seat storage, which should accommodate two half-face helmets.

Other noticeable aspects include a single-sided telescopic fork up front, which makes it fairly unique. Its braking setup consists of a single disc at the front and a drum at the rear.

As for its launch, expect the scooter to make its official debut by September this year. We expect competitive pricing from Ola moving forward. The e-scooters will probably make their way into Ola’s two-wheeler taxi services.

Image Source- Autocar