Ola Electric, a subsidiary of Ola Cabs, plans to make its Indian debut with an all-new e-scooter
Popular ride-sharing company Ola Cabs have announced the launch of its Ola Electric sub-brand in India as well as global markets. Unlike Ola’s cab services, Ola Electric would be a full-fledged EV manufacturer aiming to become a strong player in India’s growing electric mobility scenario. As a start, it will be launching an all-new e-scooter sometime next year. New Delhi will be the first market while potential regions such as Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai could be added to the list in phases.
To create its very first product, Ola Electric has acquired Etergo, an electric two-wheeler maker from the Netherlands. The Amsterdam-based EV maker was founded in 2014 and is well-known for its AppScooter (revealed in 2018). Over the years, the Etergo AppScooter has bagged multiple awards in the field of electric powertrains.
One can expect it to be the base of Ola Electric’s very first product, which could be packaged differently to suit Indian demands. In European markets, Etergo retails the AppScooter at €3,399 (or upwards of Rs 2.80 lakh). This is a high figure to fit in the Indian two-wheeler market which has its most premium e-scooter, Ather 450X, retailing at Rs 1.45 lakh ex-showroom (non-subscription price). With the help of substantial localisation, prices could be set between Rs 1-1.5 lakh ex-showroom though it is too early to confirm.
In its highest trim, the Etergo AppScooter employs a 7kW motor coupled to a portable or swappable battery pack of three 1.155kWh modules. It is also available in lesser double- and triple-module battery formats. Etergo claims that each module can return a real-life riding range of about 80km. In other words, the top variant commands a range of roughly 240km — an impressive figure in the world of electric scooters. Thanks to 135Nm of wheel torque, it can hit 45km/h in under four seconds; 3x faster than a 50cc ICE Vespa model. Hence, it is clear which segment Etergo has targeted in Europe.
Other highlights include a massive 50-litre underseat storage, dual disc brakes and full-TFT instrument console, powered by Android yet supports iOS pairing as well. It features in-built navigation, music, phone and realtime diagnostics. The Etergo AppScooter is also capable of continuous improvements through OTA updates.
As mentioned before, Ola Electric may not debut its first product in this format but some of the above-mentioned features could be filtered down. Ola Electric is already in talks with energy companies to establish battery swapping and charging stations at prime locations in New Delhi.
