The prospective electric car from Ola is likely to be available in two derivatives- one for private buyers and the other for the fleet segment
After the successful launch of Ola electric scooter, the company is getting ready to launch an electric car. Rumors of an Ola electric car launch have been doing the rounds for quite some time. But now, Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has shared a photo of what could be the new Ola Electric Car.
It is believed that the ride-hailing firm is looking to gain an early mover’s advantage in the current nascent EV space in India. There are no official statements from Ola yet.
Ola Electric Car Future Ready
The new electric car from the Bengaluru-based startup is likely to be built on a born-electric skateboard platform. The car is expected to be wearing a futuristic look and will primarily be designed as an urban commuter with a limited range, though it is likely to be priced quite competitively.
The Indian mobility sharing firm plans to develop its electric car indigenously and is currently planning to set up a Global Design Centre in Bengaluru for its electric car division. This facility will boast all the requisite facilities including a CMF (colour, materials and finish) lab as well as a clay modelling centre.
It is not the first time that Ola has had eyes on this space. Before entering into the manufacturing segment, it has been associated with a number of EV brands in the past. The company had also planned to induct a limited number of units of the Jayem Neo which was essentially a battery-powered Tata Nano.
The car was developed by Coimbatore-based Jayem Automotives, however, the plans failed to see the end of the light after Nano electric being outcasted. Ola has reportedly hired a few design experts for its electric car project who previously worked with Tata Motors.
Ola’s Hypercharger Network
Currently, the biggest challenge for all EV manufacturers in India is the lack of charging infrastructure across the country. Ola will be looking to provide a comprehensive solution with a wide charging network spread across the country along with home charging equipment to address this issue. The ride-hailing major is currently setting up a Hypercharger network across India.
Under this initiative, Ola Electric will be installing over 1 lakh charging stations across 400 cities in India. Although Ola has publicly revealed that these facilities will be used for charging its electric two-wheelers, it is yet to be seen if these infrastructures could double as a car charging network.
Manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu
Ola has already marched towards its aim of providing fully-owned mobility solutions in the EV space by venturing into two-wheeler manufacturing. The company has built a state-of-art manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu which is slated to be the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturing site.
It has an overall annual production capacity of two million / 20 lakhs. Total investment worth Rs 2,400 crore has been earmarked for the construction of this facility. It is likely that the Ola electric car will also be produced at the same factory as the scooter. Once launched, it could rival Tata Nexon, upcoming MG and Maruti electric cars.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
