Ola Electric

Ola Electric Scooter ServiceOla Electric is following an entirely new approach for its after-sales services, which seems more convenient for customersOla Electric has quite a few firsts associated with its name. It includes the construction of largest scooter manufacturing facility in the country. Moreover, Ola electric scooters S1 and S1 Pro offer a range of best-in-class features.Another differentiating factor is that Ola does not follow the conventional dealership model. Everything from bookings to payment and documentation is managed entirely online. Once everything is in place, the scooter is delivered directly to the address provided by the customer. After-sales services are also provided at customer’s doorstep.This experience is quite unique for most users, who have been accustomed to getting their vehicles to the service centre for repairs and maintenance. To get a better idea of how Ola’s home service works, a video has been posted on the same.Ola Electric Scooter Service At HomeWhen any customer faces any issue with their Ola electric scooter, the first step is to call Ola Electric’s helpline number. Based on the type and urgency of the complaint, appropriate action will be taken by customer support staff. In most cases, a technician will first visit the location and carry out an initial assessment.Ola Service VanIf there is something that can be repaired on the spot, it will be done by the technician. For other issues, the scooter will need to be towed to the service centre. For this, Ola Electric has deployed specialized service vans. These vans are equipped with basic tools and charging port. They have dedicated space to load the scooter and fasten it firmly using ratchet straps.In most cases, the company will try to deliver the repaired scooter on the same day. However, it could take longer if some major repairs are required. Also, it is not necessary that the service van will be available on the same day. For repairs that are not urgent in nature, customers may have to wait a few days for the service van.Large service areaTo be cost-efficient, Ola Electric service vans cover a large area. They are willing to travel long distances whenever needed. Evidence to this was shared by another user a few weeks back. He had said that Ola service van came from Coimbatore to Ooty and rectified the problem. The distance between these two locations is around 86km. The owner was satisfied with the services provided.[embedded content][embedded content]Home-based repair and maintenance services can work in case of electric scooters, as these have relatively fewer moving parts. There’s no complex combustion engine, carburettors, filters and oil changes that can be quite messy to handle. Recently launched Tork Motors have also announced home service for their electric motorcycle Kratos.However, it remains to be seen if Ola Electric’s new approach to sales and service will turn out to be more efficient and cost-effective in practical terms. Real test will come when Ola Electric’s customer base reaches substantial numbers like 100k, million, and beyond. More

Ola Electric Scooters At FutureFactoryOla Futurefoundry will be based out of Coventry in United Kingdom which is home to many facilities including those of Jaguar and Aston MartinOla plans to make giant leaps in the field of future electric mobility in coming years and hence adding necessary infrastructure to its armoury. Ola Electric, the EV manufacturing arm of the ride-hailing major, has now laid the foundation of another important facility for the brand.The firm has now announced that it will be setting up its global centre for advanced engineering and vehicle design christened ‘Ola Futurefoundry’. This centre will be based in Coventry, United Kingdom, which is considered a global hub for the best automotive design and engineering talent in the world.Ola Futurefoundry – Hub for future EVs under OlaOla Futurefoundry will work in sync with the design and engineering teams based at Ola Campus in Bengaluru. The facility will house global talent across multiple disciplines of two-wheeler and four-wheeler vehicle designs, digital and physical modelling, advanced high-performance automotive engineering and much more.The centre will also be home to talents that will focus on vehicle R&D around new energy systems including cell technologies. It will also team up with world-class education and research institutions in the UK to collaborate on technology research and development.Is this the upcoming Ola Electric Car?Ola has revealed that it will invest over US$100 million (around INR 750 crore) over the next 5 years into the state-of-art centre. Over 200 designers and automotive engineers will be working in this facility.Speaking on this occasion, Bhavish Aggarwal, founder and CEO, Ola, said that the Ola Futurefoundry will enable the company to tap into fantastic automotive designs and engineering talent in the UK to create the next generation of electric vehicles. Working in close collaboration with Ola headquarters in Bangalore, India, Futurefoundry will help Ola build the future of mobility with an aim to make EVs affordable across the world.Development of electric carsAggarwal recently kicked up a storm on social media when he shared an image of a car, therefore, hinting at the possibility of Ola Electric venturing into the space of producing electric cars. The tweet makes more sense now with the announcement of a new convention centre which will cater to development of both battery-powered two-wheelers and three-wheelers.Wayne Burgess, vice president – Vehicle Design, Ola Electric said, “Ola Futurefoundry is an important step in building a multi-disciplinary team that is agile, flexible and responsive to the various needs of our consumers around the world.” He further added that Futurefoundry will supplement and collaborate with the core team in Bengaluru to deliver exciting new EVs across two-wheeler, four-wheeler and other segments.Ola Electric has already built a state-of-art facility in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district, which is considered to be the largest two-wheeler manufacturing plant in the world. Named Futurefactory, the Bengaluru-based EV startup has committed an investment of Rs 2,400 crore towards this project. More

Ola Electric Scooters at FutureFactory – Ready for dispatch to ownersOla S1 and S1 Pro deliveries have commenced from December 15, 2021 onwards, but several customers are yet to receive one
Ola Electric has been facing quite a few teething troubles including delay in deliveries. Only 275 units were delivered till December 2021. Ola Electric had said that while most scooters have reached delivery centres, there could be some that are in transit. Some could also be undergoing RTO registration process.
Ola Electric Scooter Buyers Awaiting Delivery
To avoid any further delays in deliveries, Ola Electric has boosted production to almost 1,000 units per day. Ola’s CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has shared a new video that shows hundreds of Ola Electric scooters lined up at the company’s manufacturing facility.
For all customers who have paid 20k, the final payment window will open on January 21. For these customers, dispatches will continue throughout January and February.
Next purchase window soon
Ola Electric will also be opening next advance payment window soon. However, an exact timeline has not been provided. Like earlier, this advance payment will be for Rs 20k. People who had reserved their scooter will be notified via email, SMS and Ola app. In case of new customers, they can reserve their Ola scooter online by paying Rs 499. They will get preference when the next advance payment window opens.

Lohri ki lakh lakh vadhaiyan, Sankrati ki shubhkaamnayein, Pongal vazhthukkal!
We’re celebrating with our own harvest ?? ?
Sea of scooters awaits! Final payment window opens Jan 21, 6pm in Ola App for all customers who’ve paid 20k. We’ll dispatch across Jan & Feb. pic.twitter.com/RZSAeclC0e
— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) January 14, 2022

Total number of people waiting to get deliveries of their S1 and S1 Pro scooter must be pretty high. As may be recalled, the company had claimed sales worth Rs 1,100 crore when bookings were opened last year in September. These bookings were received in a limited purchase window of only two days.
If the numbers are true, Ola Electric could be sitting on orders of more than 1 lakh units. However, not all of these pre-bookings can be expected to be converted into sales. It is possible that some customers may opt out. This is especially true in the present situation where deliveries have been delayed. Earlier, deliveries were planned to commence from October 2021. It was later shifted to December 2021.
New products planned
Ola Electric is reportedly working to expand its portfolio to provide more options to customers. One of the new products will be a more affordable electric scooter that will be positioned as an entry-level model. As of now, S1 and S1 Pro are offered at starting price of Rs 99,999 and Rs 1,29,999, respectively. Effective on-road price will vary based on subsidies provided by respective state governments.
Ola entry-level scooter could be named Ola Series S. This name has already been registered. It could have a range of around 100 km and top speed of up to 80 kmph. Price could be in the range of Rs 70k to Rs 80k.
It will have better competencies against other entry-level electric scooters such as those manufactured by Hero Electric, Ampere, etc. In terms of price, Ola Electric new scooter can also emerge as a viable option for users looking to upgrade from popular scooters such as Honda Activa and TVS Jupiter. More

Image – Paresh PatilIn comparison to ARAI certified range, true range of electric two-wheelers can vary by around 25-40%
One of the most ambitious EV projects in the country, Ola Electric has been facing numerous challenges such as delay in deliveries, unsatisfactory range and issues with post-sales services. However, the company can take heart from the fact that positive owner reviews have also started to pour in.
Ola S1 Pro 187 km range reported
An Ola S1 Pro user has reported that he recently achieved 165 kms range. Battery remaining was 14%, which equals range of 22 kms. When added, overall range comes at 187 kms. The user has provided additional details that he weighs 82 kg and was riding in Bengaluru where temperature was around 25 to 28 degrees Celsius.
Total load on the scooter was around 100 kg including the rider. The user had used the scooter in various environments including highways, city streets with traffic and bylanes.
Riding stats for the day displayed on instrument console show that the scooter was driven at an average speed of 27 kmph. Top speed was 46 kmph. It is likely that use of regenerative braking system has allowed the user to achieve higher than ARAI certified range. Official ARAI range is 121 km for Ola S1 and 181 km for S1 Pro. Claimed true range for S1 Pro is 135 km.
Ola Electric Scooter Owner Gets 187 Kms Range
Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has responded by saying that true range can touch even 200 km if the regenerative system is used most optimally. Regenerative braking system works by converting kinetic energy into electrical energy, which is then used to recharge the battery.
Regenerative braking can make tangible difference to range in specific environments such as going downhill and city traffic conditions. The brakes are frequently engaged in such conditions.
As may be recalled, Ola Electric had earlier described a set of conditions that need to be met to achieve the true range of 135 km for S1 Pro. It includes rider weight of 70 kg, incline of 3-5%, Normal ride mode and temperature range of 24-35° Celsius. However, based on recent owner review, it appears that true range can be much higher with use of regenerative braking.
Ola Electric scooter reng braking to help increase range
Second Purchase Window to Open
Ola Electric is getting ready to open its second purchase window. This has been revealed by Company’s CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, on Twitter, though no exact date has been announced. Aggarwal has also stated that production has been stepped up to almost 1,000 scooters a day being produced at the company’s Futurefactory. This will allow for more timely delivery through Ola’s unique ‘Direct-to-customer’ approach.
Ola S1 and S1 Pro are priced at Rs 99,999 and Rs 1,29,999 respectively (ex-showroom Bengaluru). They are powered by an 8.5 kW motor. ARAI has certified the range of the Ola S1 at 121 kms per charge and for the S1 Pro at 181 kms per charge. More

Image – Prasad / Venus via @bhash
Ola Electric claims to have dispatched all e-scooters to its customers but most of them are yet to receive one
Ola Electric has been in the line of fire ever since the company failed to honour its first batch delivery schedule. After multiple delays, the Bengaluru-based EV manufacturer started dispatching its first batch of electric scooters from December 15 onwards.
However, recently it was reported that only 275 units of S1 and S1 Pro e-scooters have reached their respective customers till December 31, 2021. Later, Ola CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal came out with a response on Twitter saying that scooters have been dispatched to all customers.
Ola Electric Scooters Delivery Delay
The tweet further informed that while some of the units are in transit or awaiting RTO registration process, most of the electric scooters reached the nearest delivery centres. Aggarwal revealed that there was some delay in registrations, as Ola is following an entirely digital process.
The CEO of the ride-hailing app has posted another tweet in which he shares another important update. Ola is now manufacturing almost 1000 electric scooters each day. The Tweet was accompanied by an image of units of e-scooters parked inside the brand’s manufacturing facility called Ola Futurefactory.
Ola Electric Scooter Production Update
Aggarwal went on to reveal that the second window for purchase of Ola electric scooters for remaining customers will be opened soon. Like the first window, the second purchase window has faced several delays. It was initially supposed to go live on 1 November 2021 but was postponed due to an overwhelming demand from the first batch.
Challenges Faced by Ola
Ola Electric has adopted a completely new business model which doesn’t involve any dealerships or any intermediaries between consumers and the company. The firm is trying to maintain a direct chain of communication with buyers without having showrooms across various parts of the country which is new in itself.
Sales are entirely online and the scooters will be delivered to customers at their address. After-sales services will be similar to onsite services currently available for appliances, electronic items, etc. Ola will also have to take care of other processes including shipment and RTO process which is a huge challenge in a country like India with such wide demography and different legislations.
Ola Electric Scooter Boot Space
On August 15 last year, Ola Electric launched its first range of e-scooters- S1 and S1 Pro which are priced at Rs 1.00 lakh and Rs 1.30 lakh (both prices ex-show) respectively. Both variants offer the same 5.5kW electric motor but provide different battery packs. While S1 offers a 2.97kWh battery, S1 Pro offers a larger 3.97 kWh unit. More

Ola Electric Scooter Delivery Rate Slower Than PromisedOla Electric Numbers Continue To Create Doubts – Questions Raised About Bookings, Deliveries, Features And Range
Even though Ola Electric has commenced deliveries of its S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters, the company continues to face criticism on various fronts. Earlier, some customers who got their deliveries had shared the problems they faced.
Now questions are being raised about numbers related to deliveries and registrations. These don’t appear to match claims made by the company earlier. Bringing more transparency in consumer-related matters can help Ola Electric build that much needed trust and confidence.
In a tweet shared by Vinkesh Gulati (President, Federation of Automobile Dealers Association), questions have been raised about actual purchase numbers and total registrations. Actual registration numbers of Ola electric scooter till January 3, 2022 was less than 300. This is creating confusion, as to what is actually happening.
Ola’s update on deliveries
On December 31, Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal had stated on Twitter that Ola electric scooters have been dispatched to all customers. While most have reached delivery centres, some are in transit or awaiting RTO registration process. There was some delay in registrations, as Ola is following an entirely digital process. This was something new for all stakeholders involved.
Ola Electric Scooter Delivery Update
It is possible that registration numbers may increase in January 2022. Ola Electric is following an entirely new system of sales, deliveries and after-sales services. The company isn’t operating the standard dealership network.
Instead, sales are entirely online and the scooters will be delivered to customers at their address. After-sales services will be similar to onsite services currently available for appliances, electronic items, etc.
Option to upgrade to S1 Pro
Ola recently announced that all S1 customers will be able to upgrade to S1 Pro. What Ola is essentially doing is that S1 scooters are being delivered with the same hardware as that of S1 Pro. It includes the larger battery pack. However, S1 users will be able to access the additional features and range only after they pay upgrade charges of Rs 30k. This makes the price the same as that of S1 Pro.

As @OlaElectric begins deliveries, it’s big promises are being put to test. The co says 4,000 scooters dispatched, but only 275 have been delivered to date. Customers also question its promise of 181km range vs the real world range of 135km under specific conditions@Parikshitl pic.twitter.com/hLGaPgTHvC
— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) January 3, 2022

Users who choose the upgrade option will be getting the new features and longer range activated via an OTA update. S1 Pro offers premium features such as faster charging, higher top speed, faster acceleration, hill hold assist, cruise control and Hyper mode.
From consumer’s perspective, the upgrade option appears to be a bit flawed. Although they are getting a larger capacity battery pack, they will be able to use only part of it. Riding around with a heavier battery and not able to unlock its full power is likely to adversely impact things like range, acceleration and top speed.
Along with efforts to streamline deliveries, Ola Electric is also working to expand its charging infrastructure. During 2022, around 4k charging stations are expected to go live. Most of these are being set-up at Bharat Petroleum fuel stations and residential complexes. As a bonus, Ola is offering free charging for S1 and S1 Pro users till June 2022. More