Despite controversies, Ola S1 Pro purchase window opens tomorrow

Ola Electric Scooter
(Image credit: Ola Electric)

Evidently, Ola Electric is going through some tough times. Its electric scooters have been involved in battery fire accidents. Some other technical issues have also been reported by some users, and it has created some furore on the social media platforms. Talking of which, the company has also been accused of operating fictitious Twitter accounts to troll those who complain against it. Inside the company, too, things aren't looking any better as some high-profile top executives have quit it. The company's valuation has also come down.

So, you'd think that Ola would pause a bit and get its house sorted. But, as it happens, the company is not holding itself back.

Ola has announced the next purchase window for its e-scooters this weekend (from tomorrow, May 21). Like before, prospective buyers who have made a reservation earlier will get the chance to order it as soon as the purchase window opens, although Ola hasn’t indicated how long it will remain open.

Will unintentional reversing be addressed?

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Ola opened its last purchase window between March 17 and 18 this year, and had announced then that it would be hike prices next time around. So, expect the S1 and S1 Pro to be more expensive when the window opens. The existing prices for the S1 and S1 Pro are Rs 85,099 and Rs 1,10,149, respectively (ex-showroom Delhi, prices vary from State to State).

It may be recalled that production shortages, Ola announced earlier that it will only manufacture the S1 Pro. The Ola S1 Pro comes with a 3.97 kWh battery pack that can push the scooter to a top speed of 115 km/h. With the new OTA Move2.0 update, the Ola S1 Pro gets a range of 181 km charge.

With a 8.5 kW electric motor, S1 Pro can reach a top speed of 115 km/h in the Hyper riding mode, one of the three riding modes the scooter offers. On the other hand, the 3.97 kWh battery of the scooter claims a maximum riding range of 181 km in the Eco mode and takes 6 hours and 30 minutes for a full charge using the 750 W charger provided with the scooter.

The S1 Pro also comes with features like a touch-sensitive seven-inch instrument cluster that can be used for Bluetooth telephony and music control, cruise control, reverse mode, geofencing, and more.

Ola’s OTA update with new features like navigation and cruise control promised by the end of April, began its beta rollout in the first week of May. Once the update is fully implemented, it will be known if Ola has been able to address problems like unintentional reversing.

Ola S1 and S1 Pro are being sold through direct-to-consumer model with fully digital purchase coupled with home test rides and doorstep delivery and after sales service. The company has been beset by production problems and hence its delivery schedule has been hit

The S1 Pro is being manufactured at the Ola Futurefactory at Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu, touted as the world’s largest and most advanced 2W factory. Ola, which has already submitted a bid under the Government's PLI scheme for advanced chemistry cell battery storage, plans to set up a gigafactory near its FutureFactory for manufacturing battery cells here.

Balakumar K
Senior Editor

Over three decades as a journalist covering current affairs, politics, sports and now technology. Former Editor of News Today, writer of humour columns across publications and a hardcore cricket and cinema enthusiast. He writes about technology trends and suggest movies and shows to watch on OTT platforms.