Ola Electric is set on pushing India into the future of electric transportation, whether that means on four wheels or two. And with the company’s latest unveiling of the Ola S1 Air electric scooter, two-wheeled electric vehicles just got even more affordable.
Two-wheelers are of course the company’s main focus, with the Ola S1 Pro serving as the electric vehicle manufacturer’s flagship electric scooter.
The S1 Pro was launched just over a year ago, rolling out with impressive specs for the industry.
An 8.5 kW electric motor mounted within the scooter’s frame provided the S1 Pro with a top speed of 115 km/h (71 mph).
The non-removable battery pack under the rider’s feet offered 4 kWh of capacity and 181 km (112 miles) of range.
At INR 139,999 (approximately US $1,690), the Ola S1 Pro is already fairly priced in the market. But now Ola has unveiled a toned-down version of the scooter that features muted specs but for an even more attractive price.
Ola S1 Air unveiled
The new Ola S1 Air, which was unveiled just in time for the Diwali holiday, is launching at a promotional price of INR 79,999 (approximately US $960) for those that put down a deposit today.
The Ola S1 Air comes with a smaller 4.5 kW motor and peaks at 85 km/h (53 mph), making it more of a city scooter that can be used for occasional excursions on faster urban roads.
The scooter’s maximum range is 100 km (62 miles), though that is measured in Eco mode. In practice, the real-world range will be somewhat shorter.
The scooter looks much like the higher-spec S1 and S1 Pro scooters, but with a more affordable battery and motor that help reduce the manufacturing cost and thus the sticker price.
At well under a thousand US dollars, a lower-spec electric scooter could help Ola significantly expand its market with a more attractive entry-level price point.
Ola has also announced that it intends to target the export market as well, with the US and other countries included in that list. A wider range of electric scooters could help it more precisely target specific international markets.
The new S1 Air electric scooter was announced simultaneously with a rollout of MoveOS 3, the third major over-the-air (OTA) software update for Ola’s electric scooter operating system.
The update is said to include new features like proximity unlocking and also improved operation with the company’s Hypercharger network.
The Hypercharger network is Ola’s fast-charging network, which the company says can put 15 kilometers (9 miles) of range into the scooter in just five minutes.
While not as fast as a typical gasoline fuel stop, it helps get riders back on the road quickly, especially when they only need a brief charge to reach their destination. Slower overnight charging is still the main method for recharging the scooter’s battery. But for those that don’t have a place to plug in a scooter at home, the non-removable battery can still be recharged quickly at a Hypercharger station.
The company also revealed a small teaser for the upcoming Ola electric car, which isn’t expected to hit the market before 2024.
The electric crossover will eventually become Ola’s first four-wheeled electric vehicle, though we haven’t received very many tech specs regarding the vehicle’s production or performance.
The company very well may have the production capacity to make the car a reality in the next few years. Ola currently operates a massive electric vehicle production facility known as the FutureFactory that is staffed and run by an entirely female workforce.
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