Ola Electric Scooter: What To Expect - Pricing, Rivals And More

Can Ola’s first electric two-wheeler stir the pot in the e-scooter segment?

(UPDATE: The Ola S1 has been launched in India with a starting price of Rs 99,999. Head here to read the launch story)

Ola Electric recently filled us in on its future plans (check our story for full deets), which include the setting up of the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturing factory and the launch of the Ola Electric Scooter. We also received some photographs of the upcoming scooter and here’s everything we expect from it:

Design

There’s not much to ‘expect’ here, since Ola has already revealed the scooter’s design. It is based on the Etergo AppScooter and looks exactly like it, as Ola had acquired the Dutch brand last year. It gets full LED lighting, smooth flowing lines, and a completely blacked out paint job. There’s plenty of attention to detail too, thanks to the smartly integrated LED indicators, cubby holes, 10-spoke alloy wheels, and flush-fitting footpegs that make the Ola Electric Scooter pretty likeable. It misses out on any graphics but we expect Ola to throw in a few colour options when the scooter is finally launched.

Powertrain

Since the Ola Electric Scooter draws inspiration from the Etergo, its powertrain is expected to be similar to the AppScooter too. For reference, the AppScooter makes 6kW of peak power and 135Nm of peak torque, which can propel it from 0 to 45kmph in just 3.9 seconds. That said, Ola officials have said that the Indian-spec offering will boast of more performance than the Etergo. As for battery packs, the Ola e-scooter will probably use the same swappable banana-shaped battery packs as the AppScooter. With an expected range of 80km for each 600W battery, the e-scooter might be India’s first electric two-wheeler to offer 200km of range. 

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Underpinnings

The Ola e-scooter will use a single telescopic fork up front and a shock absorber at the rear, while its braking setup comprises single discs at both ends. Like most scooters, the Ola e-scooter is expected to ride on 12-inch wheels, probably shod with MRF rubber. It should also have a fairly accessible seat height of around 800mm and a kerb weight of around 90kg, making it appealing to almost everyone. The banana-shaped battery pack is also known to be a space saver, resulting in a roomy under-seat storage.

Features

The Etergo AppScooter features a 7-inch TFT display with smartphone connectivity, internet connectivity, navigation, music controls, and phone control. We expect most of these to be carried forward to the Ola Electric Scooter though some might be skipped over to keep costs in check. Other features like CBS, App Connectivity, remote lock/unlock and USB charging might also be present.

Pricing 

The Ola Electric Scooter is expected to be priced between Rs 1.2 lakh and 1.5 lakh (ex-showroom). This slots it right between the Bajaj Chetak and the benchmark for e-scooters, the Ather 450X. At this price, the Ola Electric Scooter will surely make an interesting proposition, thanks to its premium features and components. More so, if Ola manages to bring the prices down even further, thanks to localisation, this might just be the game-changer for electric scooters in India.