Ola, the ride-hailing service by ANI Technologies Ltd is already a unicorn in offering services hire and food delivery services. Ola electric backed by Softbank launched its first-ever electric scooter on August 15, 2021, after acquiring Etergo, an Amsterdam-based e-bike startup. Another major launch was by Simple Energy – Simple One scooter on the same day. “Ola has already created a buzz in the Indian market with its ‘Future Factory’ and its production plans,” said Bakar Sadik Agwan, senior automotive analyst at London-based data analytics firm GlobalData. Now lets us compare and see – Is Ola scooter better than the existing e-scooters?
India is giving birth to a new startup every day. The research on electric vehicles in India is outnumbering the other domain. Around 2,90,000 electric vehicles have been sold in India in FY2021. The already existing EV 2-wheeler market is ruled by Ather Energy, Hero Electric, Ampere, Bajaj, and many more. The introduction of the Simple One scooter is believed to have revolutionized the EV market in terms of the range of vehicles.
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Is it too soon to say if Ola’s scooter will sustain?
With fuel prices skyrocketing and showing no signs of retracting, e-two wheelers make perfect sense to keep household budget in check. And with many states announcing subsidies, the models available are also cheaper than ever before. In fact, prices are now almost comparable with conventional scooters. Our already rulers of the EV market have set a benchmark for these scooters.
Ola and Simple Energy with its newly launched scooter has crossed the benchmark and set it even higher. The perfect launching time with a reasonable price and a better range has made these EVs more popular amongst the customers. Let us look into the fact about how Ola scooters are better.
Ola’s latest S1 and S1 Pro scooters have just been launched with prices starting at Rs 99,999. Both the Ola S1 and the Ola S1 Pro get a reverse mode. However, the S1 Pro also gets hill hold and cruise control as well. Both include a brake pad wear sensor and an electronic handlebar lock. The Ola Electric app in the user’s smartphone can unlock the scooter. However, it can also be unlocked with a security code in case the user’s smartphone is lost, or dead.
Ola is attempting to give users a smartphone experience through its display. It comes with different ‘MOODS’ to change the appearance and layout of the screen as well as the sound. A unique feature is the built-in speakers that are able to play music or support phone calls. The features are unique compared to scooters at a similar price. Will look into the comparison in detail.
Ola S1 Pro vs Simple One
Ola S1 Pro and Simple One has a neck to neck competition in terms of performance. Both excel in their specifications and customer satisfaction.
| Highlights | Ola S1 Pro | Simple One |
| Range | 181 km/charge | 236 km/charge |
| Charging Time | 4.5 Hours (0 – 100%) or 75km in 18 minutes | 2.75 hr (Fixed battery, 0-80%) 75 minutes (portable battery, 0-80%) |
| Battery Pack | 3.97 kWh | 3 kWh (Fixed) + 1.8kWh (Portable) |
| Motor Type | Mid-drive IPM | PMSM |
| Motor Power | 8.5 kW peak | 7 kW peak |
| Max Torque | 58 Nm | 72 Nm |
| Top Speed | 115 kmph | 105 kmph |
| Price | Rs 1,29,999 | Rs 1,09,999 |
These modern electric scooters are equipped with features like TFT instrumentation, smartphone connectivity, LED lighting, CBS, and fast charging.
The Simple One’s TFT lets you store digital documents and shows tire pressure. Although this is missing on Ola S1 Pro there are other premium features making it better. S1 Pro featurize cruise control, hill hold control, ‘take me home’ lights as well as remote start/stop and lock/unlock, giving it an edge over the Simple One.
You can check the price of electric vehicles in each state after subsidy: Here
Ola S1 Pro vs Ather 450x
The Ola S1 is a direct rival to Ather 450 that has been currently ruling the premium electric scooter segment. Just like the Ather 450 that is available in two variants — Ather 450 Plus and Ather 450X — even the Ola S1 comes in two variants — S1 and S1 Pro — with the latter having better specifications.
| Highlights | Ola S1 | Ather 450x |
| Range | 181 km/charge | 116 km/charge |
| Charging Time | 6.5 Hours (0 – 100%) or 75 km in 18 minutes | 5 Hours and 45 minutes (0-100%) or 15 km in 10 minutes |
| Battery Pack | 3.97 kWh | 2.9 kWh |
| Motor Type | Mid-drive IPM | PMSM |
| Motor Power | 8.5 kW peak | 6 kW peak |
| Max Torque | 58 Nm | 26 Nm |
| Top Speed | 115 kmph | 80 kmph |
| Price | Rs 1,29,999 | Rs 1,44,500 |
Ather 450x also gets a seven-inch touchscreen instrument panel with Bluetooth for telephony and music with no voice commands. The scooter also includes a park assist system with reverse and forward mode, illuminated under-seat boot, regenerative braking, and an app that allows riders to find a charging station, vehicle statistics, save locations, and even store documents. Both the instrument clusters support over-the-air updates.
Ola S1 vs Hero Electric Photon
Hero Electric Photon is available in 3 different colours while Ola S1 comes in 10 colours.
| Highlights | Ola S1 Pro | Hero Photon |
| Range | 121 km/charge | 108 km/charge |
| Charging Time | 4.48 Hours | 5 Hours |
| Battery Pack | 2.97 kWh | 2 kWh |
| Motor Type | Mid-drive IPM | BLDC Hub |
| Motor Power | 8.5 kW peak | 1.2 kW |
| Top Speed | 90 kmph | 42 kmph |
| Price | Rs 85,099 | Rs71,440 |
Many of these features are unheard of on vehicles at this price point. The scooter has brought about a revolution and competition in the Indian EV market. What Ola and Simple Energy claims about their scooter will come true only after their road test by the customers. We hope to get our first ride of the Ola scooter in the first half of September 2021 whereas December in the case of Simple.
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