In what is reflective of the skyhigh and wallet-busting petrol prices (currently at over Rs 100 in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai & Kolkata) and the changing two-wheeler consumer mindaset towards electric mobility, Ola Electric's upcoming scooter has seen a strong initial response to bookings. A few days ago, scoop photos of the Oa scooter surfaced online. 

The company has announced that its electric scooter has received a record-breaking 100,000 reservations within the first 24 hours, making it the most pre-booked scooter in the world. 

The newest EV maker in India had opened bookings for its soon-to-be-launched electric scooter in the evening of July 15. At Rs 499 per booking, industry observers were expecting a robust number of bookings which is now confirmed. What matters is the final conversion rate into vehicle purchase.

A high percentage of bookings converting into actual purchases will help Ola Electric log more sales than total sales of high-speed electric scooters -- 29,288 units - sold by 11 OEMs in the first six months of 2021, news broken by Autocar Professional on July 8. The recent growth of e-two-wheeler sales in India  is proof that the wave of demand for electric two-wheelers has begun. What is also helping is that a number of states like Maharashtra, Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have introduced their own EV-friendly policies with sizeable incentives for EV buyers, particularly two-wheelers.   

Bhavish Aggarwal, Chairman and Group CEO, Ola said: “I am thrilled by the tremendous response from customers across India for our first electric vehicle. The unprecedented demand is a clear indicator of shifting consumer preferences to EVs. This is a huge step forward in our mission to transition the world to sustainable mobility.”

The company claims its electric scooter will have “class-leading speed, unprecedented range, the biggest boot space as well as advanced technology that make it the best scooter customers can buy. It will be priced aggressively to make it widely accessible.” Ola is to reveal the features and price in the coming days.

The Ola scooter will roll out of a brand-new mega factory in Tamil Nadu. The first phase of the Ola Futurefactory is nearing completion and will be operationalised soon, while the full capacity of 10 million vehicles per annum will be built by next year.

At full capacity, using 10 production lines, Ola estimates one electric scooter will roll out every 2 seconds. Phase 2 is slated for completion by end-2021, Phase 3 and 4 by 2022.

ABB’s automation solutions will be deployed in key manufacturing process lines at the Ola plant, including its painting and welding lines. ABB robots to be used extensively for battery and motor assembly lines.

Ola Electric scooter: S1 and S1 Pro variants
Interestingly, a government website has revealed that Ola Electric has registered model names in India. Going by the document, it appears that the electric scooter will be called the 'Series S'. The company has also registered ‘S1’ and ‘S1 Pro’, which will most likely be the names of the variants.

While much isn’t known about the differences between these two variants, it could be as small as the Pro variant featuring inbuilt network connectivity or even getting large changes like a more powerful motor or a larger battery. We expect to learn more in the coming weeks.