Electrek.co
Micah Toll
August 16 2021
Today the scooters look like leaders in the local market, but tomorrow could see shockwaves reverberate globally. That’s because the two models offer better performance than any other comparably sized electric scooters. An 8.5 kW electric motor mounted within the scooter’s frame provides the S1 with a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) and an even faster top speed in the S1 Pro of 115 km/h (71 mph).
An innovated banana-shaped battery pack under the rider’s feet offers 3 kWh of capacity and 121 km (75 miles) of range. In the high spec S1 Pro, those figures increase to 4 kWh and 181 km (112 miles) of range. The battery is not removable, but can be quick charged most of the way in around 30 minutes. An 18-minute charge on an Ola quick charger will provide 75 km (46 miles) of range.
Most riders will likely charge overnight, though, where home charging with a 750W portable charger will take around 4.5 hours on the S1 and 6.5 hours on the S1 Pro. The under-foot mounting of the battery lowers the scooter’s center of gravity and maximizes the storage space under the seat. Ola claims that riders can fit two helmets into the 36L storage compartment. Most scooters require bolting on a large rear trunk to get anywhere near that kind of storage space.
The high performance of the scooters might not even be their biggest selling points. Instead, the technology-packed OS is what truly sets these scooters apart from pretty much anything else currently on the market. The 121 kg (267 lb) scooters come with a large 7inch color touch screen that displays GPS-based map navigation in addition to typical performance readouts on user-selectable skins.
Just like your cell phone, the scooter also packs a digital voice assistant. Saying to the scooter, “Hey Ola, play some music,” will pull up your playlist and get the tunes cranking out of the scooter’s built-in speaker system. Riders can even take calls via the scooter’s OS by connecting their phones. Speaking of phones, the scooter’s app provides a high level of control. Riders can pop the trunk, adjust lighting, set geo-fencing boundaries, modify electronic sound profiles (or remove them entirely), create rider profiles, and more.
Profiles can be installed on the scooter for friends and family members so that the scooter remembers each riders’ performance customizations and user interface modifications. Proximity sensors mean that the scooter can unlock for the rider as he or she approaches, no key needed. Walking away from the scooter automatically locks it.