Ola Electric is gunning for the masses with its new entry-level scooter, the S1 Air. Priced at Rs 84,999 (ex-showroom, including FAME II subsidy), the scooter undercuts rivals like the TVS iQube and Hero Electric Photon LP. Here are the top five things to know about the Ola S1 Air.
1. Ola S1 Air: design similar to S1, S1 Pro
The Ola S1 Air’s design is largely similar to the S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters. You can see the same bodywork on the least expensive S1, but that’s where the similarities end. The bits that distinguish the S1 Air from its stablemates are the blacked-out side and tail sections, simple tubular grab rail and a flat floorboard, courtesy of the smaller battery pack. Even the single-piece seat is new and has a prominent bulge in the rider’s area, which should offer more support.
2. Ola S1 Air: loaded with features
The Ola S1 Air creams the competition in the sub-Rs 90,000 category, as far as features are concerned. It is the only India-made electric scooter to have a 7.0-inch touchscreen TFT display with Bluetooth connectivity. It runs the latest Ola Move OS3 software and has features like hill-hold, proximity unlocking , different rider profiles to eliminate passcode sharing, and even ‘moods’ that change the display’s themes.
3. Ola S1 Air: suspension differs from S1, S1 Pro
The chassis is a major area where the Ola S1 Air distinguishes itself from its premium siblings. Unlike the single-sided fork and monoshock setup on the S1 and S1 Pro, the S1 Air’s chassis is suspended by a conventional telescopic fork and twin shock absorbers at the rear. It must be recalled that there have been a few instances reported online where the single-sided fork on the S1 Pro has collapsed, supposedly on encountering bad potholes. Since bad roads are a commonality in India, the move to equip the S1 Air with telescopic fork may have been in the interest of making it more rugged. After all, the S1 Air is aimed at people residing not only in metros, but also in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, as well as rural areas; and the state of roads in some of these places is far from motorable.
The S1 Air rides on more affordable steel wheels and has drum brakes at both ends, unlike the alloy wheels and disc brakes on the S1 and S1 Pro.
4. Ola S1 Air: has top speed of 85kph
In the interest of pricing the S1 Air competitively, Ola has opted for a simpler, more affordable hub-mounted motor. It makes a peak power of 4.5kW, giving it the ability to reach a claimed top speed of 85kph. More importantly, the scooter can sprint from 0-40kph in 4.3sec. As for modes, there are Eco, Normal and Sport, each altering the acceleration and top speed of the scooter. There’s also reversing functionality, a feature common in most electric scooters these days.
5. Ola S1 Air: range is similar to rivals
The Ola S1 Air has a smaller battery than its siblings, at 2.5kWh, translating to a claimed range of 101km in Eco mode; this range is in a similar ballpark as the competition. As for charging time, Ola says it takes 4 hours and 30 minutes to top up the battery from 0 percent.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
