[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by myavu

Removable battery is not like replaceable battery. I stay in the 3rd Floor and will be difficult for me to set up a charging point at our parking. If the battery is removable, it can be taken to my house and recharge it there like a mobile phone.

Something like this from Etergo which is basically OLA S itself.

Cheers!

And the portable battery is exactly the reason I too booked one (I'm on the 15th floor). Disappointed that they are taking out the key differentiator, if they are, i.e.

Also looking at the details given, seems Ola wishes to build an ecosystem for charging. Probably this is the "moat" that they are aiming for. The extra effort to make the battery unremovable then makes sense.

Quoting from their website: "Automated, multilevel charging and parking systems in popular areas across multiple cities ensure you’ll easily find a place that’s always up for charging"

[myavu]

Originally Posted by vinjosep

Also looking at the details given, seems Ola wishes to build an ecosystem for charging. Probably this is the "moat" that they are aiming for. The extra effort to make the battery unremovable then makes sense.

Yes man, thoroughly disappointed

As per Etergo launch video the scooter is capable of having 3 battery packs with 80 kms range per battery. Even if OLA is providing 2 battery pack as standard it will have enough juice for my 4 day riding.

Hope some other EV Scooter manufacture will come up with these concepts or ultimately wish OLA will launch a S1 Pro Max with a removable battery.

Cheers!

[shortbread]

Originally Posted by vinjosep

And the portable battery is exactly the reason I too booked one (I'm on the 15th floor). Disappointed that they are taking out the key differentiator, if they are, i.e.

Also looking at the details given, seems Ola wishes to build an ecosystem for charging. Probably this is the "moat" that they are aiming for. The extra effort to make the battery unremovable then makes sense.

Quoting from their website: "Automated, multilevel charging and parking systems in popular areas across multiple cities ensure you’ll easily find a place that’s always up for charging"

As Tesla has proven, there is a lot of money to be made via the subscription model. So rather than look for profit from one time sale + annual after sales service, a monthly subscription brings more consistent revenue.

Therefore an ecosystem brings in more dosh than have owners look after their own energy needs using removable batteries.

[anjan_c2007]

The Autocar India link sharing more details about the Ola S Series e-scooter here ! The scooter will be available in ten colour choices from bright to dark shades and the pricing, features and specifications list will be revealed. The two variants based on the trim levels are the S 1 and S 1 Pro. The bookings are continuing at Rs 499/- and as revealed, 100,000 bookings were made in the first 24 hours. The present, upto date figures have not been revealed.

Images of the scooter revealed that it’s display will be rather large. The display showed that the scooter had 87 percent of its charge left with the distance-to-empty readout still showing 122km. If this figure is to be believed, the Ola Electric scooter is set to become the EV two-wheeler with the highest range in India as the Autocar India report reveals. The TFT screen is expected to have bluetooth connectivity.

More details here:-

https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-ne...-august-421610

Since the bookings are in six figures, the public eye is focused on the launch date viz. 15.08.2021 and the expectations of the buyers and potential buyers plus critics will be too high to slot Ola S Series as the most ideal e-scooter for the masses.

And Ola plans direct delivery to customers homes. The details about warranty, spares availability, able factory trained hands to service the machine in case of niggles are all question marks, since dealers have not been appointed. Ola needs to appoint a good service centre network to facilitate buyers approach these for any help if need be.

If it clicks, Ola will also become famous for its e-scooter, apart from its good name as a taxi aggregator across the country.

And if it fails to click, there will be mass cancellations of bookings as had happened in numerous cases in the past, when expectations of buyers were not met. We have the famous Vespa XE and Bajaj m50 that were also launched in the 1980's in the backdrop of very huge bookings, with lots of expectations from potential customers. But when such expectations were not met with the product after its launch, a majority of those in the waiting lists cancelled their bookings for both these models.

Hence, when expectations are raised and hype generated by a brand, the brand needs to live up to the expectations and emerge successful under the watchful eyes of all stakeholders.

[nairrk]

Like this battery problem, wonder why they have to build a scooter with a hump in the footboard. Many people depend scooters for shopping purposes in which they need to keep bags etc. on the footboard. Even many people in remote areas using scooters to carry Gas cylinders.

Because of this hump the scooter is not useful for such purposes which is a disappointment for many who has the similar intention.

I like the scooter, but because of the hump, my family members not preferring it and wanting me to cancel the booking and go for other brands.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by nairrk

Like this battery problem, wonder why they have to build a scooter with a hump in the footboard. Many people depend scooters for shopping purposes in which they need to keep bags etc. on the footboard. Even many people in remote areas using scooters to carry Gas cylinders.

Because of this hump the scooter is not useful for such purposes which is a disappointment for many who has the similar intention.

Rightly pointed out ! The footboard needs to be a fully flat surface, as scooters in our country are also used to transport goods, luggage and gas cylinders too ! A gas cylinder that can be transported hassle free on a scooter gets the nod from a majority of customers.

The auto magazines in the 1980's and 1990's were critical about the ICE scooters of the era that had such elevated portions. Kinetic Honda offered a flat footboard with no control pedals too located there. And all the later launches that soon followed in the 1990's and during the turn of the millenium had flat footboards, starting with our very own TVS Scooty, Generation I.

[shortbread]

Originally Posted by nairrk

Like this battery problem, wonder why they have to build a scooter with a hump in the footboard. Many people depend scooters for shopping purposes in which they need to keep bags etc. on the footboard. Even many people in remote areas using scooters to carry Gas cylinders.

Because of this hump the scooter is not useful for such purposes which is a disappointment for many who has the similar intention.

I like the scooter, but because of the hump, my family members not preferring it and wanting me to cancel the booking and go for other brands.

Agreed, It is a major issue for the regular scooter user.

Albeit OLA provides almost 3 times the under-seat storage compared to mainstream scooters. The 50 litre lockable storage space is a massive plus.

Flat panels flex and hence affect structural rigidity. This is not an issue for regular scooters with the chassis role being played by the frame inside the body. But with a monocoque, a flat footboard will be a no-no. The design cleverly uses tubular design to incorporate batteries as well as provide structural rigidity, which results in imparting more space for under-seat storage.

I think the rigidity of the monocoque frame and low centre of gravity due to the batteries placement will mean this will be a hoot to handle. At the same time I can also see my Dad crying, where do I hang my groceries a-la Activa.

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by nairrk

....
Because of this hump the scooter is not useful for such purposes which is a disappointment for many who has the similar intention.

I like the scooter, but because of the hump, my family members not preferring it and wanting me to cancel the booking and go for other brands.

The hump (rather its absence) and the space between the seat and the front apron were key factors in making the choice for my family. Reason being that the scooter would primarily be used for errands to nearby places (<2kms) like carrying groceries, carrying grains to the flourmill.
While I'm not on the lookout for changing the current Jupiter, I'm sure Ola will be rejected by my family due to the hump.

[saket77]

This might have been discussed on the thread but are electric 2 wheelers required to get a registration mark from RTO? Pay road tax and is a DL required to ride?

[nairrk]

I understand, as per government rules, Electric vehicles which come with 250W motor (or less) need not to have registration and Insurance and also no need for License. However, it is advised to have insurance for riders own safety.

[Gansan]

^^ If anything weighs more than 60 kg and can travel at > 40 kmph, it can cause serious injury to pedestrians or even fatality to rider/pedestrian. What is this nonsense about no registration and insurance? What is the weight and speed of the exempted category?

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by nairrk

I understand, as per government rules, Electric vehicles which come with 250W motor (or less) need not to have registration and Insurance and also no need for License. However, it is advised to have insurance for riders own safety.

If this is true, I am sure under the hands of underage kids as well as other pea brained people it will be a recipe for many accidents.

[saisree]

How will I distinguish my scooter with other scooter with out the registration number. I don't want to end up in Weird and Wacky Thread

[udaikalra01]

Originally Posted by Gansan

^^ If anything weighs more than 60 kg and can travel at > 40 kmph, it can cause serious injury to pedestrians or even fatality to rider/pedestrian. What is this nonsense about no registration and insurance? What is the weight and speed of the exempted category?

The speed is limited upto 25kmph. Those scooters are just like e-bicycles.

[nairrk]

As per ARAI (Automotive Research Association of India), Electric Vehicles, which have power less than 250 W and speed less than 25 kmph are not categorized as motor vehicles. Hence the transport rules are not applicable for such exempt category vehicles.

Read

In India, the minimum age to drive a car or ride a motor cycle with gear is 18. However, if you are between the ages of 16-18, you can still ride a non-motor and non-gearless bike. Most of the e-bikes we see on roads today, fall in this category.

Read