Ola recalls S1 scooters to fix front fork suspension issue, offers free upgrade

In a first-ever large-scale recall by any EV player, Ola Electric recognising the challenges around its front fork that have seen a half dozen breakdowns, announced a massive recall for its S1 range from March 22, offering to upgrade to the new fork design.

In a statement issued over Twitter, the  Bengaluru based Soft bank backed EV maker said "recently there have been concerns around the community around the safety of the front fork arm which is unfounded".

"We have upgraded the front fork design to enhance the durability and strengthen it even further and hence giving our S1 customers the offer to upgrade to the new fork" the statement further explained.

The EV maker has offered its customers to book an appointment at their nearest Ola Experience center to have the upgrade installed.

Ola Electric has said that 'all its components including the front fork arm are thoroughly tested under extreme conditions and engineering with a factor of safety much higher than the typical loads encountered on vehicles"

The maker of the S1 range of electric scooters has been at the top of the Indian EV Market for nearly five months back to back has sold nearly 1.5 lakh EVs in 2022 maintaining its run rate above 16,000 units from October 22 and touching its all-time record of 18,282 units on Jan 22.

The EV Makers recall for the front telescopic fork for its S1 range is seen as a welcome by analysts, "Ola's move to correct course if their offerings are found to have issues will build consumer confidence in EV Brands" said Subhabrata Sengupta, Executive Director, Avalon Consulting who tracks the auto industry.

For the month of February 2022, Ola clocked sales of 17,667 units.