Ola Electric has been a driving force in India’s EV segment for quite some time now. The company seems to have no shortage of ideas for making its S1 electric scooter platform more accessible, more efficient, and better performing. For the 2024 model-year, Ola Electric has released a four-kilowatt-hour version of the entry-level S1 X scooter. Let’s take a closer look at the details.
Price usually plays a big role in the decision making process of commuters and enthusiasts in India, and indeed, the new variant of the S1 X retains its affordable price tag. For just Rs 109,999, or about $1,325 USD, the Ola S1 X 4kWh offers incredible value for money. Ola claims a single-charge range of 190 kilometers (118 miles) versus the 3kWh variant’s 143 kilometers (89 miles). This makes the S1 X 4kWh the most long-distance focused model to bear the S1 X name, making it ideal for commuters who cover longer distances on their daily commutes.
On the tech side of the equation, the S1 X 4kWh retains the same barebones approach as its smaller siblings. It gets a modest top speed of 90 kilometers per hour (56 miles per hour) and can zoom from a standstill to 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour) in just 3.3 seconds. That being said, it misses out on some of the premium features of the S1 X+, and gets more basic accouterments like a physical key and no smartphone connectivity features.
As more and more variants of Ola’s S1 electric scooters continue to flood the Indian market, it just makes sense that the company invests towards expanding its infrastructure. Ola claims that it will increase its service centers by 50 percent, eyeing up to 600 service centers across India by April 2024. On top of that, it’s bolstering its charging network, claiming that 10,000 stations will be available to the public by June 2024.
Apart from just increasing the number of chargers, Ola is also improving its charging tech. Its new fast chargers are said to offer 75-percent faster charging than home chargers, providing 31 miles of range in just 20 minutes. The best part is that this new fast charger can also be purchased for home use for Rs 29,999 ($360 USD).
It’s also worth mentioning that Ola Electric is instilling additional peace of mind by offering an impressive standard warranty program for its battery covering eight years or 80,000 kilometers (about 50,000 miles), whichever comes first. Owners also have the option to extend this warranty to 100,000 kilometers (62,000 miles) for Rs 4,999 ($60 USD) and 125,000 kilometers (77,671 miles) for Rs 12,999, or about $157 USD.
While all the developments surrounding Ola Electric are indeed very promising, one question remains: when will the rest of the world get a taste of this capable and practical scooter? We do know that Ola Electric has plans of expanding to the rest of the world, but as of the moment, we don’t know which countries it’s targeting first.
