Prices for Ola S1 Range batteries go till Rs. 66,549 for a 3 kWh pack and Rs. 87,298 for a 4 kWh pack
India has opened up to the EV revolution like never before. This is reflected in sales figures as they post meteoric rise month-on-month. Leading this growth in 2W EV segment is Ola Electric. The company recently announced varied battery options for its S1 range of scooters. Along with that, we also got a glimpse of Ola’s 5 future motorcycles too.
Ola’s batteries range from 2 kWh (S1 Air & S1), 3 kWh (S1 Air & S1) and 4 kWh (S1 Air & S1 Pro) in capacity. One must have wondered how much one battery from Ola costs. Prices have been recently revealed by a Twitter user Mannu Bhardwaj. Prices for a 3 kWh battery pack for Ola S1 and S1 Air is Rs. 66,549 and a 4 kWh battery pack for S1 Air and S1 Pro is Rs. 87,298.
Ola S1 Range Batteries Prices
Considering the price of these scooters respectively, battery alone costs more than half of the entire vehicle. It is staggering to learn how much EV batteries cost. For example, Nexon EV battery pack and electric motor costs Rs 11 lakh. One has to be aware of battery costs while buying EVs.
Ola’s banana-shaped batteries are manufactured in-house and are indigenously designed as well. Even though Ola Electric is one of the leading mass-manufacturers of batteries in India, prices are relatively higher. Unlike China, India is still in its infant stages where battery production is concerned.
Manufacturing efficiency of China associated with a large scale of production is a crucial factor too. Not to mention the world’s largest reserves of Lithium are in China. Indian battery prices can’t compete with Chinese component prices. Plus we have to pay customs duties. Due to a combination of factors, cost of batteries is relatively higher in India and batteries play a vital role in EV prices.
On top of this, Ola’s batteries are part of a high-voltage EV architecture as opposed to abundant slow-speed electric scooters. Ola’s motors are capable of peaking at 4.5 kW (S1 Air) to 8.5 kW (S1 & S1 Pro). Battery development costs and battery optimisation costs add to the overall price too. Ola has engineered its scooter lineup to extract as much as 181 km (claimed) from a single charge.
Ola To Setup Lithium Cell Giga Factories
Ola CEO announced today – “Ola will setup the worlds largest EV hub with integrated 2W, Car and Lithium cell Gigafactories in Tamil Nadu”. They have sighed MoU with Tamil Nadu government. These new factories will help bring battery cost down in the future.
One might argue for Rs. 87,298, they can buy an entire 125cc ICE scooter (ex-sh) and still have Rs. 10,000 left for fuel costs to cover 5,000 km. It is hard to argue with despite the ecological concerns. That said, early adopters are the ones burdened with EV prices so manufacturers reach the mass-production stage. It is what it is.
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