Ola electric scooter could be a game changer in an industry that’s struggling for volumes
Looking at the number of electric two-wheeler manufacturers that have started operations in recent times, it doesn’t feel very different from a gold rush. However, barring a few, most such companies are yet to register strong sales numbers. This segment will soon have another rival in the form of Ola Electric that has made ambitious plans to take electric two-wheelers mainstream.
Ola electric scooter design and features
As may be recalled, Ola Cabs had acquired Netherlands-based Etergo last year, as part of its plans to enter the electric two-wheeler segment. From initial impressions, Ola electric scooter looks similar to Etergo AppScooter. However, Ola has said that the Indian version has been completely reengineered to suit Indian conditions.
Ola electric scooter looks cute with its twin-pod LED headlight, surrounded by an LED strip. The front section has OLA logo in the centre and sleek rectangular turn indicators towards the bottom. Overall, the design is minimalistic, which indicates that the scooter is focused on utility and performance.
Details about the battery pack to be used for Ola electric scooter are yet to be revealed. The one on Etergo AppScooter was a swappable unit that offered a range of up to 240 km. Talking about Ola electric scooter, it could have a top speed of more than 100 kmph. However, this will be confirmed only after Ola reveals the details. If the scooter will have swappable batteries, Ola could be parallely working to build the required infrastructure.
Ola electric scooter plant
Ola is currently in the process of building a supersize factory in Tamil Nadu, which will be the largest two-wheeler manufacturing facility on the planet. When it’s complete by 2022, it will be capable of manufacturing 10 million vehicles per year.
Ola has stated that when working at full capacity, the plant will be able to produce a scooter every two seconds. In phase I that’s currently in progress, production capacity will be 2 million units.
Ola’s plant will involve investments worth Rs 2,400 crore and it is expected to create 10,000 jobs. It will be one of the most advanced manufacturing facilities, built on the principles of sustainable manufacturing. The plant will focus extensively on automation, which will be achieved through the use of advanced machinery and around 3,000 robots.
With its massive plant, Ola may be aiming to achieve economies of scale. This will help reduce cost of its electric scooter, making it more attractive to users. Ola electric scooter will not only take on rivals such as Bajaj Chetak, Ather 450X and TVS iQube, but will also target the current breed of ICE-based scooters. Ola may also have plans to target export markets in a big way.
