Electric two-wheelers have to pass various tests as part of the homologation process before the Type Approval Certificate (TAC) is issued
Last month in February, Ola Electric had launched its Roadster X electric bike range. A total of five variants are currently on offer, available in the range of Rs 85,000 to Rs 1.85 lakh. Deliveries of Roadster X were scheduled to commence from mid-March 2025. However, new report reveals that the bike is yet to be homologated.
Battery, powertrain issues
The report states that Ola Roadster X electric bike has multiple issues. It includes the battery pack, thermal management, battery management system (BMS) and the electric motor. This could potentially explain why the homologation process for Ola Roadster X is yet to be initiated. The homologation process for electric two-wheelers can take anywhere between three to six months to complete.
Until the homologation process is complete, a vehicle is not considered roadworthy. It’s only after the vehicle has passed all the tests that the Type Approval Certificate is issued. For electric two-wheelers, various tests are conducted during the homologation exercise. The list includes range test, top speed test, gradeability test, acceleration test, battery and electrical systems safety tests, structural and durability tests, braking and stability tests, fire safety tests, charging and connector compliance tests, etc.
The size of the battery pack of Ola Roadster X could be causing the issues, adds the report. Roadster X is available with 4 battery pack options – 2.5 kWh, 3.5 kWh, 4.5 kWh and 9.1 kWh. It appears that the problem could be more applicable for the 9.1 kWh battery pack. Ola manufactures this in-house and calls it the 4680 Bharat cell. It is reported that the existing thermal management system is not proving effective in dissipating heat. Such systems need to work optimally to prevent battery-related fire incidents.
Ola Roadster X deliveries could be delayed?
If the reports are true, deliveries of the Ola Roadster X electric bike could be delayed. It remains to be seen how fast Ola can come up with solutions to fix the issues with the bike. Even then, several weeks will be needed for the homologation exercise to complete.
Ola Roadster X electric bike is an ambitious project that aims to be a gamechanger for the motorcycle segment in India. With five variants, Ola has ensured that the bike is accessible to a large segment of users. The 2.5 kWh base variant is affordably priced and matches the pricing of ICE motorcycles in 100cc to 125cc range. Even the base variant has an IDC certified range of 140 km. Top speed is also quite good at 105 km/h.
Users who want to unlock enhanced performance and higher range can choose the Roadster X+ 4.5 kWh or the Roadster X+ 9.1 kWh variant. The former has a range of 252 km, whereas the top variant can travel an astounding 501 km on a full charge. Both these variants have peak power output of 11 kW (15 PS) and top speed of 125 km/h. 0 to 40 km/h is achievable in just 2.7 seconds. All variants of Ola Roadster X electric bike are available with battery warranty of 3 years / 50,000 km.
Source
Source: Bike - rushlane.com
