BENGALURU: The much-awaited Ola Electric scooter S1 has been officially launched in India at the introductory price of Rs 99,999 (ex-showroom).
The EV comes in two trims - S1 priced at Rs 99,999 (ex-showroom) and the S1 Pro costs Rs 1,29,999 (ex-showroom).
However, after considering incentives given by state governments and Fame Scheme, the electric scooter will carry a different price tag in a few states. For example, in Delhi buyers can get the S1 at Rs 85,099 while in Gujarat the final cost comes to around Rs 79,999.
Features
The two scooters feature identical design, and a similar electric motor producing peak power of 8.5 kW. However, the S1 is packed with a 2.9 kWh battery while the S1 Pro has a larger 3.9 kWh battery. S1 and S1 Pro give an impressive claimed range of 121 km and 181 km, respectively.
Coming to charging, both scooters can be charged with 75 km range in just 18 minutes by using a fast charger. On a conventional home charging port, the S1 can be charged 100% in 4 hours and 48 minutes, while the S1 Pro can be charged 100% in 6 hours 30 minutes.
Speed
The S1 gives a top-speed of 90 kmph while the S1 Pro can go up to 115 kmph making it the fastest electric scooter in the world, according to the brand.
Home delivery
Pre-launch bookings for Ola S1 had opened earlier this month and the electric scooter will be home delivered straight as the company had decided against setting up dealer showrooms.
The scooters will be available for purchase starting September 8, 2021, while deliveries would begin from October 2021. Both variants of the Ola electric scooter will be offered across 1,000 cities in India.
Ola founder Bhavish Aggarwal has claimed that this EV has "the best design, the best tech and the best performance” when compared to any e-scooter in the world.
In a note, he said that 80% of the vehicles sold in India today are two-wheelers and despite that only 12% of India owns a two-wheeler. "These vehicles consume 12,000 crore liters of fuel every year and are responsible for 40% of air pollution. Clearly, this penetration is going to grow exponentially in the coming years and we simply cannot allow that to happen. So moving to EVs is no longer optional, it's crucial," said Aggarwal.
He added, "We are taking this moment to announce ‘Mission Electric’, a pledge that no petrol two wheeler will be sold in India after 2025. This is a mission that we are putting forward to the industry and to the consumers to reject petrol and fully commit to electric. It's time for India to lead the way in electrification and build technologies of the future, here in India for the entire world!"
For reference, electric vehicle penetration in India is one of the lowest in the world among major markets.