Ola is working on an electric car for India, which is expected to be launched within 2 years – In under Rs 10 lakh range
While Ola Electric continues to fend off online complaints and trolls regarding quality issues in its scooter and delivery delays, they have become No 1 electric scooter maker of India. They have also announced future plans. After venturing into the two-wheeler, the company intends to hit big in the passenger vehicle segment of electric mobility.
The Bengaluru-based EV startup revealed that it is developing a mass-market electric car that could be launched within two years. This electric car will be equipped with some autonomous tech which will offer it self-driving capabilities.
Ola Electric Car Design
It has now come to light that Ola Electric car is being designed by Krux Studio. This is a design studio which is being led by none other than Ramkripa Ananthan, the former Mahindra Head of Design. She played an important role in the transformation of Mahindra passenger vehicles. She and her team helped design the new Thar, XUV700 and the upcoming Scorpio.
It is also likely that she was involved in the designing of upcoming Mahindra electric cars based on KUV100 and XUV300. ET Auto now reports that Ramkripa recently visited Ola Electric head office, likely to discuss the involvement of Krux Studio in the designing of the upcoming Ola Electric car. It is not clear if Krux Studio will also be involved in the next gen Ola electric scooters.
Ola Electric Self-Driving Car
This development was confirmed by company CEO and founder, Bhavish Aggarwal who revealed that the upcoming electric car will cater to the mass market. He further revealed that the EV manufacturing firm started testing an autonomous vehicle nearly six months ago. Ola showcased the tech in the form of self-driving demo vehicle / modified golf cart.
It featured an autonomous driving technology that comprised two Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) cameras, a video camera and GPS. It detected obstacles ahead, stopped for people and found its way around turns autonomously. The cart can be used in hospitals, malls, offices and public places and will be exported to overseas markets as well.
While the technology is still in its initial stages of development, it can be considered as a concept vehicle on which future vehicles can be developed. The upcoming electric car is slated to make its global debut by the end of this year or early next year. Slokarth Dash, Head of Strategy and Planning at Ola Electric, has suggested that this upcoming electric car could be a sub-Rs 10 lakh offering.
Earlier this year, Ola took over a Pune-based geospatial services provider named GeoSpoc. This acquisition will help Ola Electric to build high-res maps that would prove to be useful in autonomous tech and is most likely to feature in the forthcoming electric four-wheeler. Upon its launch, the Ola electric car will compete against entry-level EVs like Tata Tigor EV and the upcoming Mahindra eKUV100.
Ola Electric in United Kingdom
In another development, Ola Electric revealed that it will be aiming to enter the UK electric vehicle market by 2025. Its initial lineup for the UK market will comprise its two electric scooters- S1 and S1 Pro and its upcoming autonomous electric car. The company also has some interesting long-term plans that include more electric four-wheelers.
Ola Electric will reportedly invest £100 million (around INR 981 crore) over the course of the next five years in its Warwickshire facility in England, which will employ over 200 automobile designers and engineers. For the uninitiated, the EV manufacturer has earlier established a technical centre in Coventry, England that became operational in January this year.
