Update: The article has been updated with information related to the registration of Ola Series S moniker.
The start that Ola Electric has experienced is something that most startups and EV makers would envy. The company not only was able to outsell the number of scooters it planned to while shattering records on its way, but it also was able to bring the much-needed change to how the vehicles are sold in the country.
While both the scooters Ola S1 and S1 Pro are as feature-rich as a modern electric scooter should be, they are still out of bounds for most Indian middle-class households.
While the company always wanted to make electric cars, Ola seems to be also planning to make affordable variants of S1 and S1 Pro. That is not all, a report from Zigwheels suggests that the company might be planning to introduce an E-Bike too – a segment that is almost untouched at the moment.
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Could be called Ola Series S
A new report from Rushlane corroborated this theory and suggests that the upcoming electric scooter could be called as Ola Series S. The report reveals that the company has already registered the name which gives a clear indication that the company is actually planning for an affordable e-scooter.
Additionally, Rushlane states that the company may plan to use a slightly less powerful motor which in turn could consume less battery while offering better mileage is also another way to cut down costs yet offer better value for money.
Affordability is the key
The Zigwheels report reveals that the company is interested in coming up with vehicles that cater to the needs of daily commuters who cannot afford to pay close to or over a lakh for a new scooter. Unlike the current scooters from Ola, the scooter in question is said to be a stripped-down Ola S1 which might not have all the fancy features but is expected to deliver close to 100 km of range per charge and a top speed of 75-80 km – which otherwise is ideal for a city ride.
For starters, using a slightly smaller battery and a motor that is not as powerful as the one used in the first-gen Ola scooters might help in bringing the costs down. Similarly, cutting down on some smart features like a speaker to play music on the go, mobile connectivity etc. that users can live without – can also go a long way in reducing the cost.
In terms of the e-Bike, there is not much that we know, however, it seems that the company has set a goal for itself to launch an electric bike in the next couple of years. We will have to wait for some time before we start getting information about Ola’s electric bike.
But timely delivery is important too…
While Ola’s fancy scooters have experienced a massive demand, the company seems to have been struggling with delivery timelines. As Ola doesn’t have any middlemen to deal with and aims to deliver the scooter at the customers' doorstep, the delay seems to be at the production level itself.
It is safe to assume that the company may not have expected such a response from the customers. However, Ola has repeatedly claimed that the FutureFactory it is building is capable of churning out millions of scooters every year and had started accepting orders when the first phase of the factory was complete.
Based on this promise, the delay in deliveries might not go too well among the early adopters and the rest who are still waiting in the wings to experience the scooter in person on the road.
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