CIOInsider India Magazine

The Ola S1 electric scooter which comes in two variants is finally hitting the roads starting October this year, and is open for sales this month across thousands of cities in India. The ride sharing platform has been the talk of many news and social media platforms. Be it the electric two wheeler, used cars selling platform, or its enormous electric two wheeler manufacturing plant at Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the ride sharing platform is not the only one that’s busy, but keeping the media and social media filled with content of its new electric two-wheeler. With all this hype, Ola’s electric two-wheeler might be the best thing that happened to the country’s electric two wheeler segment.

Moreover, the purchase process of its electric two-wheeler is believed to be entirely digital, especially for those who purchase early. In fact, the ride sharing platform is not only delivering its electric two-wheeler at the customer’s doorstep, but has also ensured to do the vehicle’s servicing in the same manner. That’s right, Ola is going the home delivery way like those of home essential, foodtech and other e-commerce platforms, but a vehicle servicing right at the doorstep is rather new to the way the country’s vehicle servicing has always been done.

Looking at its purchasing process, although the customer may have already opted for the variant they prefer during the booking. However, when there’s another buyer with second thoughts about their purchase, Ola allows for change of colour as well as the variant. Currently, there are 10 colours the buyer can choose from, and of course, there are two finishes included in the menu as well. With that said, here are few ‘know-hows’ to Ola’s brand new electric two wheeler.

S1 Pro Can Go at 40 kmph in Three Seconds?
That’s right, the vehicle’s variant S1 Pro is capable of going from 0 to 40 kmph in three seconds, while its other variant the S1 accelerates from 0 to 40 kmph in 3.6 seconds. The S1 and S1 Pro are both driven by the same electric motor, which has a maximum output of 8.5 kW and torque of 58 Nm. Next comes the vehicle’s driving range, where the S1 comes with a 2.98 kWh battery, while the S1 Pro comes with a 3.97 kWh battery. The S1 and S1 Pro are said to accelerate from 0 to 60 kmph in seven and five seconds respectively. The S1 has a top speed of 90 km per hour, and the S1 Pro has a top speed of 115 km per hour.

Ola S1 Might be the Quiet Kid
The S1 and S1 Pro both come with a comprehensive list of standard features as well as cutting-edge technology. The vehicle control unit (VCU) on the electric scooter has an octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM, and high-speed connection via 4G, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Smart onboard sensors communicate with the user's phone to provide improved keyless operation by unlocking the scooter when the user is in range and automatically locking it when he or she leaves.

Ola Moods, which is powered by MoveOS, will transform the ride experience, including the appearance and feel of the display and even how the scooter sounds. Ola S1 offers a unique, customized vehicle sound experience through integrated speakers, making it the quietest scooter in the business. On the S1 Pro, safety and security features include an anti-theft alert system, geo-fencing, hill hold, voice assist, and cruise control. Normal and Sports are the two riding modes available on the Ola S1, whereas Normal, Sports, and Hyper are available on the Ola S1 Pro.

The futuristic design has vibrant colors and an ergonomic body, as well as standard 12-inch alloy wheels and front and rear disc brakes with a combined braking system (CBS). The Ola S1 comes in five distinct colors, while the S1 Pro comes in up to ten different colours.

The Ola S1 comes with a handy portable home charger that can be inserted into any standard outlet. On that note, the ride-sharing platform is developing its own Hyper-Charger Network.

Let's Talk Business
The Ola S1 costs 99,999, while the Ola S1 Pro costs 1,29,999. The following are detailed state-by-state prices. The Ola electric scooters will be on sale on September 8, 2021, with deliveries beginning in October of that year. Both versions of the Ola electric scooter will be available in 1,000 Indian cities. Customers will receive all Ola electric scooters at their homes.

How Government Policies and Growing Adoption of EVs is Favoring Ola
To convert to alternative/less energy intensive solutions, the global automotive industry is undergoing a paradigm shift right now. India, too, is investing in the transition to electric mobility.

India's recent policies to accelerate the transition to e-mobility are motivated by the burden of oil imports, rising pollution, and international commitments to address global climate change.
While India's EV (Electric Vehicle) supply chain is developing, Ola may benefit from growing customer adoption as a result of government rules and incentives.

India stands to gain on many fronts by shifting to EVs it has a relative wealth of renewable energy supplies and qualified workforce in the technical and manufacturing industries. The government has also launched a Manufacture-Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI) for ACC Battery Storage Manufacturing, which aims to encourage domestic battery production and minimize reliance on imports.Leading companies such as OLA Electric Mobility Pvt, Ather Energy, and Mahindra Electrics are rapidly expanding their market presence in response to the opportunity that India's EV industry affords. Furthermore, governments such as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are enacting creative and timely investor-friendly laws in addition to constructing required infrastructure.

Positive achievements have also been made in the growth of charging infrastructure across the country, which is why states such as Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Telangana establish ambitious targets for the deployment of public charging infrastructure to boost electric car adoption. Local fiscal sops, superior logistics, an investor-friendly government policy, business facilitation through easier access to authorities, supply chain connections, and the availability of adequate land are the main reasons why certain states are doing better than others.

Karnataka was the first state in India to enact a comprehensive EV legislation, and it has since become a hotspot for EV enterprises in India, both in terms of EV and EV auxiliary manufacturing, as well as R&D. Due to its supply ecology, greater land parcels, closeness to ports, and proactive investor support through administrative portals like Guidance Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu is also progressing at a noteworthy rate.

Nonetheless, while the electric vehicle industry is expanding, it still has a long way to go to meet the government's ambitious 2030 target. The pandemic of COVID-19 not only hampered the industry's advancement, but it also affected overall market demand.