ZigOpinion: The Ola Electric Motorcycle Could Reignite Its Company’s Fortunes

A scooter, a car and a motorcycle made by the same marque? Produced out of the same factory? That too, electric! You see how daunting a challenge it is for Ola Electric already. The company has had a rocky start with the S1 series of electric scooters. In 2021, the S1 Pro was supposed to shake up the market and set the tone for the segment. And now, after two serious updates, with a third one on the way, we are still not sure of its reliability factor. So, getting it right for its electric car, and more so for its electric motorcycle, will be top priority.

Yes, at the launch of the affordable S1 Air electric scooter, Ola’s Bhavish Aggarwal stated that the company has plans of launching an electric motorcycle and further details of the product will be shared by Holi 2023. He has stated that the company will be present in the mass-market, mid-size and premium categories of bikes.

Splendor Image Used For Representational Purposes

So, to begin with, we think it would be best if Ola Electric came up with a neat little city runabout. Unlike scooters, motorcycle buyers, especially commuters, do not fuss much about storage convenience and frilly features. The likes of the Hero Splendor Plus, Honda Shine 125, and even to some extent the Yamaha FZ Fi V3 are great examples of commuter motorcycles that handle their commuting responsibilities well, without going overboard with crazy features that would put a smartphone to shame. 

The expectation isn’t too high with the performance. Even if it were to cruise effortlessly at 75-80kmph, it would do the trick. The main requirements would be to have a healthy range and good riding dynamics, the latter not being a particularly strong suit of the S1. But first, the range for a motorcycle of this sort should be enough to last a week’s worth of commuting, so around 120-150km in regular mode. Obviously, if it were to achieve it in a slightly spirited mode, then excellent. 

Moving on to riding dynamics, we have faced a fair few issues with the S1’s laggy throttle response and its ability to cut power when you dab the brakes. It might be passable for a scooter rider; for a motorcyclist it won’t. Considering the way you sit on the bike, the heft of the bike, and our Indian riding scenarios, simply cutting the power or having to wait a while for the motorcycle to move isn’t  going to be ideal. A direct throttle and perhaps dialling down the power sent to the rear wheel when the sensors pick up braking will make the experience all the better.

We hope that Ola’s first electric motorcycle, which could just be called the M1, maintains the aggressive pricing that the company has managed to achieve with all three trims of the S1 e-scooter. Hence, aspiring for a USD fork, cast aluminium swingarm and the works would be foolish. However, this writer feels that the lack of a front disc brake option on the S1 Air was taking a step back in the safety department and he hopes that the same shouldn’t happen with the motorcycle. 

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Even if Ola was to launch the electric motorcycle in the same price bracket as its scooter, it wouldn’t affect the sales of the latter much. We have witnessed clearly different buyers for the two types of two-wheelers.

So, Ola Electric, we are hoping for the electric commuter motorcycle to do well. Because only then will it give way to more exciting, power packed and high quality electric motorcycles. And isn’t that what most enthusiasts want?