Ola Launches Electric Scooters in India – Will it Galvanise the Industry?

The talk of the town is the Ola S1 & S1 Pro electric scooters. The popular ride sharing company based out of Bengaluru has performed a record of sorts when the company had received orders to the tune of ₹600 crores in a matter of two days.

Ola Electric Scooter Launch – The Details

The Simple one & Simple Two Electric scooters have broken out and has performed a large number of sales. The company had opened the pre-registration early this month and anyone can pre-book the Ola S2 or S1 Pro. The pre-booking charges were nominal at only ₹500/- At the same time, all the bookings and orders that were taken in the past couple of days, required the person booking to spend almost ₹20,000 for each order.

Even at a substantial amount of 20,000, there were many orders and the Bengaluru based company is extremely elated with response form the the common people in the country. At a point, the company was selling one scooter for every 4 second. This huge demand for the Ola S1 is caused due to the fact that the booking is opened only for a period of 48 hour window.

Ola S1 & S1 Pro – Simple 1 Electric Scooter

The entry level electric scooter from Ola will come in options of 10 stunning colours in both matter and glossy finish. Since the bikes are powered by the on board battery packs, there is ample of boot space that can be used to store even larger thing like groceries bag, college or even office bags.

With a top speed of 90 kmph and a maximum range of 121 km, it has a considerable number of upgrades. The Ola S1 can also race with any modern vehicle and the electric scooter can reach the 40+ kmph in less than 3.6 seconds.

True to its name, the S1 is a complete electric scooter that is fitted to the teeth with accessories. The infotainment touch screen, the first of its kind in an electric scooter in India, it enhances the ease of connectivity.

Ola is also planning to provide home service for the bike. For most assistances, you can you’re your services through the app and wait for a day or two to get the resolution for your problem. The scooter company is looking widen the reach of the charging network in the country. As per the CEO Mr. Bhavish Agarawal, the company will work on creating the largest and most dense charging network in the country. As of now, Ola is looking for a business model in which it need not work on any

The Higher Powered S 1 – Pro comes with a top speed of 115 kmph and a maximum range of 181 km. While the lower powered S1 starts at a price of ₹86, 000 in Delhi and the higher powered S1 Pro is priced at ₹1,11,100/-

What Does the Flash Sale of Ola S1 Have To Teach Us?

Ola has successfully converted the huge brand image into sales. This widespread reach of the brand can be compared to that of the launch and introduction of the ₹501 mobile phone that was launched by Reliance in 2003.

The mobile phones by Reliance galvanized the industry and it had made mobile telephony possible for anyone. The huge reach and popularity of the phone can be attributed to the brand image of Reliance and its presence in other sectors.

Similarly the market for electric vehicles is being catered to by a number of new players like Okinawa, Ather Electric and even experienced players like TVS, Honda, etc. What sets the Ola apart is, its exclusivity and huge production facility. While other brands have concentrated on style, price, or features, Ola has packed everything inside the scooter. In spite of providing a number of value added features and ease of use options, the price of the Ola electric scooter is still comparable to other scooters in the country like the Activa.

Ola has an enviable brand recognition and brand presence in the industry in the ridesharing segment. The company is looking to capitalize on the brand recognition and brand loyalty. As of now, Ola is not looking for Ola electric scooter dealerships. This lean method ensures quicker profitability of the company.

Ola Electric scooter factory will be the largest electric scooter plant in the world and to add icing on the cake, it will be run only by women. When the plant is fully operational, it will employ as many as 10,000 women in the country. This plant will be situated on the outskirts of Chennai and will also be run on renewable energy completely.

The Future of the Electric Scooters & Electric Bikes

Ola has clearly navigated the thorny route to the electric mobility in the country. Brands like Revolt, RV 400 and Ather had been in the design and production stage for a huge period of time. Ola had almost bulldozed competition by the sheer amount of money that it can pump into its production and sales. The huge popularity of the ride sharing app has made it possible for the people to trust the brand without having any dealerships in the country.

The modern consumer is not bothered about the potential problems that might arise in the future. Most of the orders for the Ola electric scooter would have come from the urban populace that is looking for a safe and non-polluting way to commute in the city traffic. People who have been using Ola cars will now be using Ola scooters.

What lies ahead for the buyer of the Ola electric is still a question mark. The deliveries for the scooters will start in October of 2021 but the sudden surge in the electric vehicles and the relatively low number of service centers, charging stations and trained mechanics and technicians are all questions that only time can answer. But the most important lesson that the flash sale of Ola electric scooter has taught us is that, if you have a dream and if you have the will power to work for it, there is nothing that can stop you from achieving your dream.