We all know Ola as a provider of ridesharing, food delivery and taxi services. Now Ola is entering a whole new segment of electric scooters. The electric scooter test mule was first spotted in January. Ola made this possible by acquiring a Netherlands-based electric scooter company known as Etergo. The new manufacturer has signed a memorandum of understanding of Rs 2,400 crore with the government of Tamil Nadu to set up the plant. The factory could manufacture 2 million units per year.
From the first glance, stealthy with all the matte black paint job. The design is heavily based on the Etergo Appscooter. Acquiring another EV business made sense for Ola as they didn’t have to start from scratch and they already had a product that they needed to modify for Indian conditions. Up front you get a dual pod LED headlight with an LED ring around it that should work as an LED daytime running light. There are two exterior mirrors placed and the scooter looks both conventional and funky. The front panel is flat and gets a two-tone paint job. The sides are painted in subtle gray while the central part is painted in matte black. OLA badges are also made in black. There are two thin LED strips placed underneath which should function as turn signals.
The side profile of the scooter is also relatively straightforward with all the matte black paint job, a flat saddle that should be comfortable for the rider. There is a simple grab handle placed under the seat, but it cannot be used as a passenger backrest. In the photo we can see that Ola is using blackened 5 spoke alloy wheels. There is also a slim LED taillight placed and the rear fender extends all the way below with orange reflectors on either side.
Also Read: Bajaj Chetak Electric Nationwide Launch Delayed
Ola’s electric scooter is said to be based on the Etergo AppScooter, so we would expect the mechanics and other elements to be the same as well. Etergo uses high energy density batteries which are interchangeable. These batteries offer a claimed range of 240 km, but the range depends on the amount of battery modules used. The manufacturer claims a 0 to 40 km / h time in just 3.9 seconds. The scooter should be able to reach a top speed of 100 km / h. The under-seat storage is rated at 50 liters and it has a digital TFT screen instead of an analog dashboard. However, all of this information can be changed when the scooter is modified for the Indian environment. The Ola Electric scooter will compete against the Ather 450X, the Bajaj Chetak and the TVS iQube.
The scooter will be manufactured in India at the factory in Tamil Nadu. It is a massive 500-acre site located in the Krishnagiri district of Tamil Nadu. The factory is not ready but is expected to be completed by 2022. The manufacturing plant will have different spaces for batteries, general assembly, welding, finished products, paint shop, engine and it will even have its own test track to test the scooters.
Also read: This Harley Davidson Forty-Eight is actually a Yamaha Enticer 125cc
Also read: This Harley Davidson Forty-Eight is actually a Yamaha Enticer 125cc