Ola’s Electric scooters – S1 and the S1 Pro debuted in India last month. These much-hyped scooters are aimed at offering slightly affordable options in the zero-emission vehicle category - currently led Bangalore based EV startup Ather.
According to the announcement, these electric scooters will be available to purchase starting today. To recall, Ola had allowed users to pre-book these scooters for just Rs. 500, way ahead of the launch and the company stated that it got an overwhelming response to the same.
Also, the company plans to deliver the scooters directly to the buyers’ homes and even the purchase process is completely online. Its official blog says, “No visiting showrooms, no running around, nothing. Purchasing early gets you priority delivery. Also, the window stays open only until stocks last.”
Though the company has stated that it is setting up the distribution channels and experience centres that will allow buyers to test drive the scooters before making the purchase decision.
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Ola Electric Scooter pricing in India
As mentioned above, Ola’s electric scooter S1 is available in two variants – Ola S1 and Ola S1 Pro. The S1 has been priced at Rs. 99,999 (ex-showroom) and the S1 Pro is priced at Rs. 1,29,999 (ex-showroom). That said, the pricing is inclusive of FAME II subsidies, however, do not include subsidies offered by states. Hence, the final pricing may differ depending on the subsidies offered by respective states.
The primary difference between both the scooters is the top speed and the range it offers. The Ola’s S1 Pro has a range of 181 kms with a top speed of 115 km/h, while the Ola S1 offers a range of 121 kms with a top speed of 90 km/h.
Ola Electric scooter financing plans
According to an ET report, the company has collaborated with various financial institutions offering easy EMI options for users who do not want to make the entire payment upfront.
Among the banks that Ola has partnered with, HDFC will offer pre-approved two-wheeler loans while TATA Capital and IDFC First Bank will process digital KYCs and provide instant loan approvals on the Ola electric scooters. Other banking partners include - Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, Jana Small Finance Bank, Kotak Mahindra Prime, and YES Bank.
Talking about the payment options, customers will need to pay Rs. 20,000 for the S1 and Rs. 25,000 for the S1 Pro at the time of booking the scooter, while the rest needs to be paid at the time of invoicing.
In terms of EMIs, these start at Rs. 2,999 for the S1 and Rs 3,199 for Ola S1 Pro for a tenure of 48 months. That said, the EMI amount depends on the down payment and the tenure selected by the customer.
Ola Electric scooter alternatives
While the specs and features of the Ola electric scooters look impressive on paper, it is important to note that the real-life performance may vary. The online-only approach may have its benefits as the company is able to reduce middlemen, however, purchasing a scooter online is still alien to most Indians.
Hence, Ather 450X, Simple One, Bajaj Chetak, TVS iQube Electric, Okinawa iPraise+, PURE EV Epluto etc are some of the Ola Scooter alternatives that you can look at, however, availability and features are the two most important factors worth considering.
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