Ola shocks with amazing, high-tech 70 mph electric scooters that the rest of the world see first.

Ola shocks with amazing, high-tech 70 mph electric scooters that the rest of the world see first.

Ola Electric has been teasing its upcoming electric scooter for months, and the big announcement came over the weekend. The Ola S1 and S1 Pro models were just launched, offering cutting-edge technology, best-in-class performance, and surprisingly low prices.

The S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters are being rolled out with an eye to both domestic Indian sales and worldwide exports, and are being produced locally in Ola's massive electric scooter mega factory with a targeted capacity of 10 million cars per year.

Today, scooters appear to be market leaders in their home country, but shockwaves could echo over the world tomorrow. 

 

This is due to the fact that the two models exceed all other electric scooters of similar quality.

The S1 has a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) thanks to an 8.5 kW electric motor installed into the scooter's frame, while the S1 Pro has a top speed of 115 km/h (71 mph).

A banana-shaped battery pack under the rider's feet with 3 kWh of energy and a range of 121 km (75 miles). The S1 Pro has a higher capacity of 4 kWh and a range of 181 km (112 miles).

The battery isn't replaceable, however it can be fully charged in around 30 minutes. An Ola fast charger will give 75 km (46 miles) of range in 18 minutes.

The majority of riders will likely charge overnight, with a 750W portable charger taking around 4.5 hours for the S1 and 6.5 hours for the S1 Pro.

The battery is installed under the foot of the scooter, which lowers the scooter's centre of gravity and increases the storage space under the seat.

Ola claims that the 36L storage section can hold two helmets. To get even near that kind of storage space, most scooters require bolting on a large rear trunk.

The scooters' high performance may not even be their most appealing feature. Instead, the technologically advanced OS is what really separates these scooters from the rest of the group.

The scooters, which weigh 121 kg (267 lb), include a huge 7-inch colour touch screen that shows GPS-based map navigation as well as standard performance readouts on user-selectable skins.

The scooter, like your phone, comes with a digital voice assistant. “Hey Ola, play some music,” you may tell the scooter, and the song will start playing through the scooter's built-in audio system.

By connecting their phones to the scooter's OS, riders may even make phone calls.

When it comes to phones, the scooter's app gives you a lot of power. Riders can open the trunk, alter the lights, set geo-fencing borders, tweak (or delete totally) electronic sound profiles, create rider profiles, and more.

For friends and family members, profiles can be put on the scooter so that the scooter remembers each rider's performance changes and user interface modifications.

With proximity sensors, the scooter may unlock for the rider as he or she approaches, removing the need for a key. When you walk away from the scooter, it automatically locks.

Ola's models are not only faster and have more features than other popular electric scooters, but they're also much more affordable. The price ranges from Rs 99,999 ($1,350) to Rs 99,999 ($1,350). Local incentives in some Indian states reduce the price down as low as Rs 79,999 ($1,050).

The scooters will come in ten various colours, with bookings beginning on September 8 and delivery due in October.

It's difficult to overstate how important this is, not only for India but also for the rest of the world.

 

India has one of the world's largest two-wheeler marketplaces, yet the vast majority of them are gas-powered. Many Indian businesses have presented innovative electric solutions, but greater costs have limited rapid adoption. Ola's scooters can now compete with any gas-powered motorcycles in India in terms of performance and price.

But it's no long just about India. While other Indian electric scooter makers have yet to consider exports, Ola has made overseas exports a core element of the company's strategy from the beginning. Ola expects to sell its electric scooters to the international market, with an initial manufacturing rate of 2 million vehicles per year at the company's mega factory, followed by a targeted capacity of 10 million vehicles per year.

Outside of India, prices will probably be higher, but with a starting point of $1,350, there's plenty of scope to grow. For reference, I love my NIU NGT Pro electric scooter, which I use on a daily basis, but it costs roughly $4,600 in the United States and performs poorly in almost every category when compared to the Ola S1.

So, if Ola can start exporting an attractive, quick, and high-tech electric scooter that costs less but does more than the present market leaders, we could be looking at a paradigm shift in the electric scooter business toward a completely new vehicle type.

I'm not normally that happy about a new release, but damn.