Customers who have booked S1 have received communication that S1 variant will be manufactured only in late 2022
Even as Ola Electric has commenced deliveries since December last year, not all customers seem to be happy. In the latest development, S1 buyers have been informed that S1 manufacturing has been shifted to late 2022. In its communication, Ola Electric has said that it will be prioritizing production of S1 Pro, as the vast majority of customers have opted for the top-spec variant.
Options for S1 buyers
With priority being given to S1 Pro, people who have booked base-spec S1 can choose the upgrade option. This can be done when the final payment window opens on Ola app on January 21 at 6 PM.
Dispatches will continue throughout January and February. Customers may have to wait 10-20 days post-dispatch to get home delivery of their scooter. It will depend on customer’s location and RTO requirements in a particular city.
For S1 customers who do not wish to upgrade, they have the option to wait till production resumes for that variant. It means waiting time of around 9-11 months. Customers will be notified as soon as production resumes for S1. They can then make the final payment. The third option for S1 buyers is that they can cancel the booking. This can be done on Ola app or by contacting their customer support team.
S1 customer reactions
Many S1 customers have shared their feedback on social channels. They are apparently miffed and are calling it a biased approach by the company. Things would have been different if production was delayed for all variants. But when priority is being given to a particular variant over other, it is naturally being opposed by buyers.
Some customers are also saying that they are essentially being forced to upgrade to S1 Pro. This may not be possible for everyone, as it requires an additional payment of around Rs 30k.
It remains to be seen how Ola Electric responds to such complaints. Many times in the past, businesses had to change their decisions based on consumer feedback.
S1 vs. S1 Pro
While S1 can suffice for everyday needs, S1 Pro buyers get several additional benefits. For example, while S1 has ride modes of Normal and Sport, S1 Pro gets an additional Hyper ride mode. In Hyper mode, top speed of the scooter is 115 kmph. This may not be fully utilized in city conditions, but it can still come handy during overtaking. S1 top speed is 90 kmph.
S1 Pro has faster acceleration as well, with 0-40 kmph achieved in 3 seconds. In comparison, S1 takes 3.6 seconds. Most useful benefit of S1 Pro is that it offers a higher range of 181 km. In comparison, S1 has range of 121 km. It is to note that true range can vary based on various factors. Higher range means more freedom to explore and fewer pit stops for charging, be it at home or outside.
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
