Bookings of Ola Series S and Simple One have already commenced with deliveries slated to commence from October and November respectively
15 August, 2021 was a special day for India not just because it was the platinum jubilee of the country’s independence but also since it marked a significant step towards new emission-less vehicles. Ola Electric and Simple Energy officially launched their respective electric scooters Series S and One in India.
Price
While Series S has two variants- S1 and S1 Pro priced at Rs 1.00 lakh and 1.30 lakh respectively, Simple One will be offered in a single variant with prices pegged at Rs 1.10 lakh. After inclusion of state subsidies, prices of S1 and S1 Pro can drop to as low as Rs 85,000 and Rs 1.10 lakh respectively (all prices ex-showroom). Ex-sh price of Ather 450x is Rs 1.71 lakh.
It is even more significant when one considers that both OEMs have had no history of vehicle manufacturing. Hence, we decided to compare the two new electric scooters with a model which has been in the market for a while now but comes from a relatively new EV startup- the Ather 450X. All three e-scooters are closely priced after consideration of FAME II benefits with 450X priced at Rs 1.32 lakh (ex-showroom).
Specifications
Starting with specifications, both new arrivals seem to pip Ather 450X as far as performance and single-charge range are concerned. S1 and One offer a motor with a peak power capacity of 8.5kW (11.5 bhp) and 7kW (9.4 bhp) which is significantly more than 450X which gets a peak power rated at 6kW (8 bhp). Torque output of Simple One is greatest at 72 Nm while S1 returns an output of 58Nm.
On considering range, Simple One offers a single-charge range of 236 kms while Ola S1 returns a range of 181 kms on a single charge. Ather, on the other hand, offers a range of 116 kms. (All ranges are as per IDC standards).
Ola S1 Pro has the highest top speed of 115 kmph while Simple One offers a top speed of 105 kmph. Both scooters are based on tubular underpinnings while 450X is based on an Aluminium cast frame which makes it the lightest in the category at 108 kilos. Ola offers a unique single fork suspension unit at the front against the conventional telescopic forks offered in the other two scooters.
Features on offer
Coming to features, all three scooters offer modern connectivity options along with a 7-inch TFT digital instrument console. However, the latest entrants offer convenience of a touchscreen which is now available on 450X.
Apart from that, all three e-scooters offer common features such as all LED lighting, onboard navigation, Bluetooth connectivity and connected features like ride stats, vehicle tracking, voice assistant, and OTA (over the air) updates.
Ola and Simple edge past Ather in terms of features as the latter misses out on gizmos such as Wifi connectivity, Geo-fencing, mobile remote start and others. Both S1 and One offer unique features like cruise control and tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) respectively. Along with this, they offer plenty of customizable options for each rider. Additionally, under-seat storage of S1 is the greatest with 36-litres.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
