In just a few months of starting deliveries, Ola Electric has entered the top 5 list of electric two-wheeler manufacturers
With plans to become the largest EV manufacturer in the country, Ola Electric has stepped up the gas in terms of boosting production, deliveries and new bookings. The company is now producing close to 1,000 scooters per day. By end of March, Ola is expected to rank No: 1 in terms of monthly sale volumes.
Ola Electric Scooter Price Hike and MoveOS 2.0
Ola electric scooter prices will be increased from tomorrow. Today is the last day when buyers can get the S1 PRO scooter for Rs 1.3 lakh. This was revealed by their CEO on social media. It is not clear as to what the new price is. But going by industry standards, expect a hike in the range of 3-5%.
Aiming to enhance overall ride experience for users, Ola Electric will soon launch MoveOS 2.0. This will be available to users via an OTA update. MoveOS 2.0 will start rolling out to users from April end. Some of the new features include turn-by-turn navigation, location sharing with the scooter and locating a charging station nearby.
Other updates will include a companion app, new Bluetooth-based functions and cruise control. The update will also cater to bug fixes and performance improvements. Hopefully, a number of issues reported by users will be resolved with this update.
In its current form, Ola electric scooters offer a range of advanced features. It includes digital key, ride modes, an interactive 7-inch touchscreen for instrument display and connectivity, reverse mode and regenerative braking. The scooter also has special software systems that actively monitor things like performance, range, temperature, etc. Users are notified whenever necessary.
In terms of safety, Ola electric scooters have features such as geo fencing, time fence, side stand alert, tamper alert, speed limit and mode restriction. Users can remotely connect to their scooter via app and access a range of features. They can pair their smartphones to make calls, send messages and share location.
Ola indigenous battery manufacturing
Most manufacturers including Ola Electric currently rely on imported Li-ion battery cells for their EVs. This increases production cost and creates dependencies on overseas suppliers. As seen during Covid and even today, such dependencies create production delays.
To avoid such issues, Ola Electric is working to develop and manufacture its own Li-ion battery cells. This initiative is part of government’s production linked incentive scheme. Funds worth $2.4 billion have been allocated for this purpose.
Ola Electric is among the bidders in PLI scheme. It will be targeting to create up to 50 gigawatt of storage capacity. Several other companies have applied to create battery storage capacity of around 130 gigawatts. Other bidders for local battery manufacturing include Hyundai Global, Reliance Industries and Rajesh Exports.
To make it work, Ola Electric has on-boarded Dr. Prabhakar Patil as a board member. Patil had earlier headed LG Chem Power and has progressive experience in developing batteries. LG Chem Power has been associated with some of the leading names in global EV space.
Patil’s expertise will be crucial in helping Ola Electric to develop its own battery manufacturing hub in the country. Indigenously produced Li-ion battery cells will be used to power Ola’s upcoming two-wheelers as well as electric cars.
