ZigOpinion: Are The Ola Electric Bikes Too Good To Be True?

Ola Electric recently launched its first-ever electric bike marking the start of an electric revolution in the Indian context. Famous revolutionary Che Guevara once said, “Be realistic, Demand the impossible.” Guevara was a Cuban Minister, Diplomat, and revolutionary Guerrilla leader. Interestingly, Che Guevara was also the author of a book called Guerrilla Warfare. Yes, this article is about the Ola electric bikes, and believe me, there is a connection between the two very different things I am trying to put together here, so let me cook.

The book Guerrilla Warfare talks about Foco Theory – People taking the initiative to make a revolution happen without waiting for ideal conditions to present themselves. Basically, going head-on into the blazing sun and attempting to get things done, instead of following a structured process because there might not be one. Now with that in mind, let me get to the Ola Electric bikes.

Ola Roadster Electric Bike Specs

On the morning of India’s 78th Independence Day, on August 15, Ola Electric launched its first electric bike – The Ola Roadster. But, knowing Ola, this event had to be BIG, so Ola launched 3 very different variants of its first bike – Ola Roadster X, Ola Roadster and Ola Roadster Pro. 3 different flavours with varying performances, features, tech and prices.

Now Ola Roadster Pro, the cream of the crop, is claimed to reach top speeds of 194kmph. That is absolutely fascinating. It is supposed to do this via a motor producing 52kW (70.7PS) peak power and 105Nm, paired to either an 8kWh or 16kWh liquid-cooled battery. Making the stakes even higher are the claimed 0-40kmph and 0-60kmph acceleration speeds of just 1.2 seconds and 1.9 seconds, respectively. Apart from this, the claimed IDC range on the Pro model is 579km, and it is also said to get ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems).

If they are true, these claimed figures are actually revolutionary, and getting a motorcycle that can be that quick and that fast at just Rs 2.55 Lakh, seems like a killer deal, but, it also seems extremely ambitious.

Other Contenders and Many Promises

For perspective, there are a few electric motorcycles in the market, and all the manufacturers have suffered from promising too much, too early. The Ultraviollette F77, with its motor that produces 30kW and 100Nm of peak output, reaches a claimed top speed of 155kmph. This came about after years of working on the product, and even facing some issues in the initial models, which resulted in changing the hardware on the bike significantly. That said, Ultraviolette is a small(ish) startup whereas Ola has tonnes of money to throw at any problem. So while Ultraviolette and Ola might not make for an apples-to-apples comparison, it does set some context to what we’re trying to say.

The Issues

All said and done, Ola Electric has already launched the Ola Roadster, and the reservations for the same have opened up already for Rs 999. However, the deliveries of the Roadster and Roadster X will start next year, in 2025, whereas the Roadster Pro’s deliveries are set to commence by September 2026. That is more than 2 years away from its launch date.

Another thing is that when the media houses were invited to the launch event, the product seemed nowhere close to being production-ready. Especially considering the fact that the Roadster Pro was pushed and brought to the stage, instead of being ridden. Quite funnily, we weren’t allowed to get very close to these motorcycles, so we couldn’t really touch them either. All of which suggests that the bikes are far from being production-ready.

Adding to the list is the fact that the Roadster X gets a drum brake at the rear and no ABS, and the Roadster gets a single-channel ABS. Now the issue is that both these bikes get a claimed top speed of 124 and 126kmph, respectively. So while the speed might fascinate you, the lack of relevant and basic safety hardware could potentially compromise rider safety. 

Now other hardware and design concerns with the Ola Roadster Pro makes us question the capability of the bike and the manufacturer’s claims of 194kmph top speed.

Zero Motorcycles

Another interesting observation is that the product images of the Ola Roadster bikes seem to be taken from Zero Motorcycles. As you can see below, Zero Motorcycles released these pictures of its electric bike portfolio, and Ola released the pictures of its Roadster electric bikes, and they are identical, except for the obvious difference in the bike. The background, rider, gear, roads and everything else is the same. As one would say, this isn’t a class act by Ola.

Image Credits

Foco Theory & Ola

Ola Electric is one of the most ambitious manufacturers of today’s day and age and supports an electric revolution in the country. Now ambition is great, and having dreams is incredible. But, there seems to be a mismatch somewhere. Guevara said, “Be realistic, Demand the impossible,” but with Ola, the case seems to be – “Demand the impossible, we’ll see about realistic.”

Early on, Ola Electric launched its electric scooters, way before they were production-ready, which resulted in delays in deliveries, and major changes in the final product as compared to what was showcased at launch time.

Now, Ola’s strategy seems to be loosely based on the Foco Theory of Revolution. Working on the electric revolution when things aren’t ironed out in the industry. So, Ola does want to bring about a revolution, but making big promises and going head-on into really ambitious claims, without much hardware or proof supporting it, is a risky business.

Conclusion - Dreams

We must dare to dream, and Ola is certainly a daredevil to dream so big. However, sadly, at present, the Ola electric bike is slightly too good to be true. And the promises are for the future, at least 2 years from now. If Ola does achieve this, at this price, with premium quality, it will certainly be a game changer. But for now, dreamers can dream, and we can focus on what’s in front of us.