Ola Electric launches new e-scooters with a range of up to 320 km
By moving to the Gen 3 technology platform, Ola Electric is switching from its hub-mounted motor to a mid-drive motor that integrates the motor control unit (MCU), reducing weight and energy consumption. The new motor offers a 4% improvement in energy efficiency and is five times more reliable.
Ola uses a chain drive instead of a belt drive in the third-generation technology platform. “We’ve done this while making sure the noise on chains is equal to belt,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, the company’s Chairman and Managing Director, assuring this change will not affect the ride quality. “Typically chains are associated with more noise (but) we have really engineered the noise out of our chain,” he added. The chain drive lasts two times longer, further improving reliability. Moreover, it offers a 2% improvement in energy efficiency and improves the acceleration by 10%.
Another significant upgrade in the Gen 3 platform is brake-by-wire technology with a patented brake sensor that identifies the rider’s braking pattern and urgency of braking. The system increases energy recovery by 15% and doubles the brake pad life. Ola Electric also offers an option of category-first dual-channel ABS now, enhancing safety.
Lastly, instead of three electronic boards in the Gen 2 platform, Ola Electric uses a single integrated electronics board in the third-generation platform. The company says this upgrade reduces cost and increases reliability, and as it uses a more powerful chip now, it can offer more features.
S1 X (Gen 3) and S1 X+ (Gen 3)
Ola Electric uses a 7 kW motor in the latest S1 X and an 11 kW motor in the latest S1 X+. The company offers a choice of 2 kWh, 3 kWh and 4 kWh battery packs in the former and uses a 4 kWh battery pack as standard in the latter.
The S1 X accelerates from 0 to 40 kph as quickly as 3.0 seconds and achieves a top speed of up to 123 kph, while the S1 X+ takes 2.7 seconds for a 0-40 kph sprint and maxes out at a slightly higher 125 kph. The former has a range of up to 242 km, while the latter possesses the same capability as standard.
Between the S1 X and S1 X+, the latter offers more safety with a disc brake in the front. Ola Electric equips both models with a 4.3-inch digital instrument cluster running MoveOS 5, which offers Smartwatch App, Smart Park, Live Location Sharing, Emergency SOS, and several other new features.
S1 Pro (Gen 3) and S1 Pro+ (Gen 3)
In the latest S1 Pro and S1 Pro+, Ola Electric employs 11 kW and 13 kW motors, respectively. The company gives customers a choice of 3 kWh and 4 kWh battery packs in the former and 4 kWh and 5.3 kWh in the latter. The 5.3 kWh unit uses the 4680 Bharat cell, which was developed indigenously and manufactured locally in Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu).
S1 Pro takes just 2.7 seconds for a 0-40 kph sprint and achieves a top speed of up to 125 kph. The S1 Pro+ hits 0 to 40 kph as quickly as 2.1 seconds and goes up to 141 kph. The S1 Pro and S1 Pro+ travel up to 242 km and up to 320 km on a full charge, respectively.
Both S1 Pro and S1 Pro+ feature a 7-inch digital instrument cluster, also running MoveOS 5 but presenting information more clearly due to the larger real estate. Both feature dual disc brakes, but the latter offers more safety with dual-channel ABS.
Leading India’s EV transition
Ola Electric is the leading EV brand in India. In 2024, the company sold 407,547 EVs, singlehandedly contributing to 21% of India’s annual EV sales across categories (1,949,114 units). It increased its market share in the electric two-wheeler category from 31% in 2023 to 35% last year. The company began selling electric scooters in December 2021, and later this quarter, it plans to start delivering its first electric motorcycles to customers. In the second half of the year, it plans to foray into electric three-wheelers.
While Ola Electric offers a wide range of EVs and is expanding it further this year, it faces serious quality issues and reliability concerns, as well as a lack of service centres. However, recent developments suggest it is actively working on overcoming these challenges. At the end of last year, the company rapidly expanded its retail presence in India. From just around 800 outlets in November, it grew the network to 4,000 by 25 December. It aims to address the quality and reliability aspects with the Gen 3 products just launched. It plans to start delivering the new electric scooters from mid-February onwards, but it will continue selling some of the older (Gen 2) models in parallel.
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