I am in a dilemma about whether to go ahead with the Ather 450X or look for a traditional ICE scooter.

BHPian manubg92 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi everyone, I'm currently in the market for a scooter. I have a Dominar 400 which is used for my long rides but I'm in a dire need of a new scooter to replace our > 11-year-old Activa.

I have currently considered the Ather 450x and also booked it. But after going through their own forum, it feels like they have a lot of bugs in the initial 450X models (I don't know if they are resolved now). Now, I'm in a dilemma whether to go ahead with the 450X or go for a traditional ICE scooter. I can't wait for the OLA as I would need a new scooter in the next 2-3 months. Also, I'm sure OLA will have its own bugs/issues to be resolved in the first batch as is evident from test rides.

I'm okay with the range Ather 450X provides as my daily commute is less than 50 km, but I don't want to compromise on the quality of the product. Please suggest if I should go ahead with Ather or should I consider ICE scooters. I'm looking for a fun to ride vehicle and hence haven't considered TVS iQube and Bajaj Chetak.

Here's what BHPian aargee had to say about the matter:

Just sharing what we went through with our 15-year-old Activa - we just refurbished it so well (of course got shoddy work in between which was another expense) that it now looks like a brand new Honda Activa.

I think we spent Rs 20K for strip & paint job, then 7K for carb, engine oil, fork bend, fuel meter (this was the job done shoddy), 1.3K for battery, 6K clutch overhaul, fuel meter, carb cleaning, engine oil, brakes, 1.3K for tires & another 1K for FC. All put together some ~38K.

So for 38K, we got a brand new scooter that's good enough for another 2-3 years at least. That should give us some time to breathe, save some money to see if buying an EV is cost-efficient ownership than fossil-fueled scooters or not.

So, if you have a lot of money & want to have some fun, EV makes perfect sense, especially Ather 450X, which is a fantastic EV scooter in the market today.

But if you're like someone like me, trying to find value for what you're paying, then here's a simple calculation to show the ownership cost between fossil-fueled scooters & EVs.

Here's what BHPian Cyborg had to say about the matter:

I would suggest you get a Suzuki Access 125 which is well settled in the market and is fun to ride. Why complicate life with an electric scooter which may or may not suit your needs and possibly be riddled with teething problems. Stick to the tried and tested, keep it simple.

Cheers

Here's what BHPian IshaanIan had to say about the matter:

If you plan on keeping the scooter for even half as long as you have the Activa, then just stay away from electric scooters. Battery degradation means that just like your phone, the capacity and as a result, the range will end up dropping pretty significantly over 3-5 years. The reliance on coal for electricity in India means that if anything you would be doing more harm to the planet.

Pick up something like the Access or the Burgman. I myself am eyeing the Aerox perhaps it might suit you as well.

Here's what BHPian omar had to say about the matter:

Electric is not an option I would recommend unless it can replace the convenience of an ICE scooter. The technology is at a nascent stage and improving every year. It is not a good option in terms of longevity as well. The current Electric tech will be obsolete if you plan to keep it as long as your Activa.

If you want a fun-to-ride scooter, get the Aprilia, Vespa or Aerox.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

While the Ola electric scooter has huge potential, it needs to iron out the minor inconveniences and provide realistic delivery times.

BHPian saikishor recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

So today I finally had the time to experience the Ola S1 Pro. After reading reviews posted by BHPians, my expectations were quite low. I also had my doubts regarding the plastic chassis construction of the vehicle. Here are my observations; and the sequence of events that took place in the test ride campaign.

The event was organised at WEWORK Kondapur. Parking was bad as I had to park my Activa outside the building along with a bunch of other vehicles. This was kind of blocking traffic to a small extent. I had heard that there was paid parking available inside the building while we were leaving.

Once you enter the building, you are greeted by the Ola sales staff. You have to fill up a form and register yourself at the first counter. Registration is nothing but taking your name, mobile number and a photograph of your license. Once that is done, you are guided to the two black scooters behind the counter. They are not visible in this photograph. After registration, you are guided towards these two black scooters for a live demo of all the functions and features available in the scooter. Funnily for us, we were guided outside to the waiting area immediately after registration, thus skipping the demo. We took the demo after the test ride but left in the middle as another person had briefed the exact same stuff before the test ride near the waiting area.

I couldn’t click a lot of pictures, as there were a lot of people waiting and a lot of background noise was getting captured. The test ride was very short. 3-4 rounds around the office space; my estimation is 200m per round. They weren’t allowing people outside the office space, and the reason stated by them was that there is a huge traffic jam outside and customers going out are returning only after 30 minutes. And due to this, they had to bring in other vehicles from the parking. They offered an extra round for us though. I didn’t really feel like complaining about this, as there were indeed a lot of people waiting outside. But some of them did get a chance to take a spin outside the office space at the time we were doing ours.

Nevertheless, my friend wanted to do the test ride first. He sure loved the vehicle. He says he will pick this one instead of the Ather. Both of us have prebooked on the day Ola opened pre-bookings.

My buddy and I were the only ones who had paid Rs 499 and reserved the scooter. The majority of the folks who came to the event had paid Rs 20k and some of them even paid the full amount. This sure speaks about the trust Mr Bhavish Agarwal and Team Ola have built among citizens.

My buddy took 3-4 rounds and came back mighty impressed. He tried the normal mode in the first round, sport mode in the second and hyper in the third.

After him, it was my turn to have a spin on this Netherlands brainchild scooter with an Indian badge. I had very low expectations of this. My observations:

• The side stand was very flimsy. This needs to be improved for sure on the production models.
• Range: I remember seeing 130km in normal mode. Didn’t really focus on the range. Will do this next time when I get to ride it on the open road.
• Indicators: I absolutely hated the indicator integration on this. EV makers, please take note of this. Stick to traditional indicator stalks. Firstly, there were so many buttons on each side you get confused to press which button for what function. Definitely confusing for a new person trying out the scooter for the first time. Maybe after some time, one might get used to it. My preference will be the traditional indicator stalk.
• Horn: Typical electric scooter horn. Good for the purpose. Typical in the sense electric scooter horns sound a bit different compared to IC scooter horns. Ather, Ola and Pure Energy Horns were really different compared to Activa, Pep Plus and Access horns. Also, one thing that I had noticed was that the horn doesn’t work immediately after pressing. Takes half a second to work. Will take some time to get used to.
• Headlight: Superb headlight at least from the looks of it. My eyes got blinded while others were taking a ride. I do not have any complaints in this area. Same with the taillight and number plate lights, super bright and functional. Even the indicators were well suited for the purpose.
• Cruise Control: Didn’t get a chance to try this as it was a very short test ride.
• Reverse: You have to twist the throttle on the other side to use reverse mode. This was integrated in a nice manner. The opposite side throttle play was very little, which is a good thing. You don’t have to twist the entire throttle to use reverse mode. But will take some time to get used to.
• I also tried the three modes namely Normal, Sport and Hyper. Normal is useful for usual commuting duties, Sports is useful for those who are running late and Hyper is useful in your low days. Hyper mode is really addictive, If I end up buying this I might spend most of my time in Hyper mode itself. The pull is addictive, will definitely bring a smile to your face during your low times.
• Brakes: Hugely impressed in this department. The scooter stops with no hesitation whatsoever. Inspires a lot of confidence. I however wished they provided ABS as well to further enhance confidence.
• Tyres: Can’t really comment on this but I assume it will be more than enough for your usual commuting duties.
• Handling and Ride: Even this is something that I can’t really comment on, as the road we did the test ride was smooth. It was a parking space, so will reserve my comments on this once I get to ride the scooter on the open road.
• Charging: Honestly speaking, I felt that all of the sales guys were clueless about the charging network. When I asked them about the charger, they replied it comes with a portable charger; and when I asked them where it was, they replied in the cellar where other scooters were being charged. I however did get to see the charger somewhere else. Couldn’t click pictures due to the crowd. It was a white-coloured charger. Decently big in size. I have no idea about its charging speed and power consumption.
• Build Quality: This is one area where I was pleasantly surprised. The build quality of the scooters was very good. One or two areas had a flimsy build and cheap materials used( charging port flap), but I strongly feel the production version will have this minor grievance sorted out. The paint quality was superb. I saw Black, Matt Black, Matt Grey, Matt Dark Blue and Sky Blue.
• Power and Acceleration: Adequate for most, good for many. But I still prefer Ather’s warp mode.
• Mirrors are far superior to Ather’s mirrors. They offer a good view of what’s behind.
• Someone tried the Bluetooth speakers as well. When I wanted to try it out, that I was told only one scooter had that functionality and someone had taken it for a ride. Don’t know if it was true or utter salesboy laziness of connecting his phone to play audio.
• The event was well organised. I hope they do give longer test rides in their next test ride events.
• Seat: Huge and supremely comfortable. No complaints about here. I didn’t get to see the under-seat storage, but my buddy did get to see it and he said it was huge. Two helmets will be an easy fit.
• Keyless entry is a bad idea. Ola should strongly consider offering physical keys.
• Throttle cut off during acceleration is calibrated in a friendly manner. Might not be a problem once one gets used to it. However, I prefer to not have this feature if given a chance.

Some clicks of the scooter and me with it.

Overall, I feel Ola has huge potential to turn the market towards itself. IMO, they should iron out those minor inconveniences and give realistic delivery timelines and also establish their promised charging infra just in time.

I still stand by my opinion though:

• Want a fast but practical electric scooter immediately? Go for the Ather.
• Will do it with a slow speed electric scooter? Go for Pure Energy.
• If you can wait, Ola sure is worth it.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

It is being said that this electric scooter will borrow multiple parts from the Bajaj Chetak.

Bajaj Auto is testing a new electric scooter. The E2W has been recently spied wearing heavy camouflage.

It appears that the electric scooter in the spy images has a fully digital instrument cluster and split seats. The EV is also running on alloy wheels. There is a rear tyre hugger that holds the licence plate. The headlight seems to be mounted on the apron and there is a flat and spacious floorboard.

It is being said that this electric scooter will borrow multiple parts from the Bajaj Chetak. There is a possibility that it could use a 4 kW motor and a 2.9 kWh battery pack. It is also being anticipated that Bajaj Auto will give this E2W a much affordable price tag when compared to the Chetak.

Bajaj Auto had trademarked 'Fluir' and 'Fluor' names earlier this year. Speculations say that the electric scooter spied testing could bear one of these nametags.

Image source: @tusharpawar911

My Honda Activa 6G doesn't come anywhere close to the experience offered by the S1 Pro.

BHPian Dieselite recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Went in for the test ride with low expectations due to all the glitchy reviews, but was completely blown away. My current 2-wheel ride is a Honda Activa 6G and it does not come anywhere close to the experience of this Rockstar!

My first impressions of the Ola S1 Pro are:

• Build Quality: par for the course
• Ride Quality: Excellent (seat does help the ride)
• Powertrain: Outstanding performance. Beta Software and Laggy ride by wire configuration apart
• Styling: Excellent and appealing
• Sales and After Sales: Remains a mystery

Looking forward to the delivery of my Midnight Blue S1 Pro in Jan/Feb 2022! Definitely excited!

Here's what BHPian Gansan had to say on the matter:

I went for the test ride as planned today. In one word, I am sold on it.

It rides and handles as good as any scooter, actually better in my opinion. The ride was good for the road I took it on (Bangalore highway). I had to ride slow and negotiate a few speed breakers while exiting the hotel to the highway. It handled them good enough. I was given an S1 Pro scooter and all modes - Normal/Sports/Hyper - worked. Sports mode itself is addictive. Braking is good. It felt almost like a finished product, not like a beta version.

The "throttle going dead when the brake is pressed" is not as big an issue as I thought. After the first few minutes, I got adjusted to it and hardly noticed it thereafter. It might be an issue if one stops and starts on an incline, but that is where the hill hold might come in. The lag between letting go of the brake, twisting the throttle and the motor responding is hardly a second in my opinion. After the initial weird feeling, one hardly notices it. It is not a deal-breaker. Apart from the feeling that my folded knees were higher up when compared to riding a Suzuki Access, and the slightly weird side stand, I did not notice anything amiss. The seat is like a sofa! The storage space is big enough, it does accommodate two full-face helmets. They said if you want to carry the charger, then one helmet and one charger. The reverse gear is fun to use, but is it really necessary in a scooter! They said something about the hill hold being functional now, but I could not check it anywhere. Cruise control is not yet functional, but another unnecessary gimmick in a scooter. I was told a centre stand and side footrest will be offered as accessories.

The distance allowed was a U-turn immediately after exiting the hotel, go till the second signal from there, take a U-turn again and come back to the hotel - about 4 km. The road was free and I was hitting 70-80 in no time. It won't be an understatement to say the ride is exhilarating!

My BIL and his wife had done the test ride an hour before me. His opinion was pretty much the same as mine. But his wife who is 5'2", did say that she uses brake/throttle together during U-turns and found it uncomfortable with the throttle not responding while braking. And the side stands are uncomfortable to use. But they are not deal breakers for her either.

I would rate the build quality as good, though it seems to be FRP. The paintwork is excellent. The scooter looks attractive and at the same time mature, instead of the (IMO) toy-like look of Ather. It somehow reminds me of a Vespa. Also, the front suspension is not a single down rod as I thought. There is some additional linkage connected to the chassis behind that rod. Anyone going for a test ride, please bend down, take a photo behind the front mudguard and post it here! Also, despite many people taking test rides continuously one after the other, none of the TD scooters seemed to have any heating issues, like what some Bangalore BHPians felt after their test ride.

I am not cancelling my booking. I am not buying it immediately either. I will wait for a month after the first deliveries take place and user reports come in.

Here's what BHPian shortbread had to say on the matter:

Went to see the Ola scooter in person with my dad, he's the ultimate beneficiary.

We're very impressed and going ahead with our purchase. They were quite stubborn on the limited test drives, so only one of us could do it. My dad took the honours and myself pillion.

Pros:

• Well built and put together. Some flimsy plastic bits and panel gaps. But no creaks and rattles, scooter felt solid.
• Liked the ride. Slightly stiff, but a decent balance between ride & handling
• Good under-seat storage
• Superb touchscreen display, intuitive
• Impressive features list, albeit some gimmicky
• Looks even better in person, attractive design
• Good horn
• Great brakes
• Easy to replace wheels, amateur-friendly
• Terrific VFM
• Spacious seats

Cons:

• Beta testing comments by staff are not exactly confidence-inspiring. The staff were unsure about many things like accessories, side footrest etc.
• Brake throttle cut off feature, will take time to get used to, especially for elderly riders
• Wide rear seats mean that even tall pillion passengers can't touch feet on the ground
• Heavy scooter, although not an issue when the scooter is moving
• Power port flap is not lockable
• Side stand feels flimsy
• Could be a challenging ownership experience for the not soo tech-savvy, the younger generation will find it a breeze.
• Risks related to new manufacturer and product.

We have a considerable solar power production capacity, saving us easily 20k every year on fuel alone, it's sort of a no brainer. An electric scooter was always going to join the family garage, we'll check out the Ather again tomorrow.

So far OLA S1 pro is the primary candidate.

Here's what BHPian nkrishnap had to say on the matter:

Had a chance to test ride the OLA S1 Pro today. Most points are covered and will point out only what I felt. My friend has booked the scooter.

• Design-wise it is pretty unique and will catch eyeballs
• Good range of colours unlike Ather
• Brisk Acceleration, however, the part-throttle response is not to my liking. Of course, they can/may improve this. Ather feels well sorted in this department
• Brakes are good, but Ather has a better feel and bite.
• Build quality, fit and finish has a long way to go.
• Switchgear has too much of a rubbery feel to my liking
• Good boot space.
• Love the headlight design
• Usable rearview mirrors unlike the pathetic ones on the Ather.
• Good range advertised, Real life usage needs to be seen
• No flat board footwell. The hump in the middle can be a deal-breaker if you intend to use the scooter to carry luggage of varying sizes n shapes.
• Primary user (more like admin) and secondary users feature. Secondary user features can be restricted by the admin.
• Charging time for the pro variant is around 6.5 hours (as per the person giving the demo). No fast chargers or grid-like Ather currently.
• I felt the handlebar is placed a little too high to my liking.

A few pics that I took when I visited the place:

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

TVS is developing a range of electric 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers in the 5-25 kW category.

TVS Motor Company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government to set up an electric vehicle manufacturing facility in the state.

Under the MoU, TVS will invest Rs. 1,200 crore in the state in the next four years. With the fresh investment, the company will focus on the design, development and manufacturing of new EVs and capacity expansion.

At present, the brand's electric portfolio includes just one e-scooter, the iQube. It competes with the likes of the Ather 450X and Bajaj Chetak.

In July this year, TVS had announced that it is working on a range of electric 2-wheelers and 3-wheelers in the 5-25 kW category. The company has set up a separate EV vertical as well as a scalable manufacturing facility.

The deliveries of the Ola electric scooters have been delayed because of the global chip shortage & other electronic components like lithium-ion cells.

The Ola S1 and S1 Pro deliveries have been delayed by 3-5 weeks. The deliveries of the first lot of the electric scooters that were scheduled to begin from November 25, will now commence from December 15.

It is being said the deliveries of the Ola electric scooters have been delayed because of the global chip shortage and other electronic components like lithium-ion cells.

Apart from delaying the deliveries of the S1 and S1 Pro models, Ola Electric has also pushed back the second purchasing window. It was slated to open on December 17 but now has been scheduled for late January 2022.

Ola Electric recently announced that it will deliver 9 customised S1 Pro electric scooters to the Netherlands Embassy in New Delhi, and to the Consulates General in Mumbai and Bengaluru. This will happen once the company starts delivering its electric scooters to the customers.

The Ola electric scooters were launched in India earlier this year. The S1 model has been priced at Rs 99,999 whereas the S1 Pro variant costs Rs 1,29,999 (ex-showroom).

Source: ET Auto

Deliveries of the S1 and S1 Pro will commence in the coming weeks.

Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder and CEO, Ola Electric, has stated that the company is looking at providing custom paint finishes for the S1 Pro e-scooter.

The Ola S1 and S1 Pro e-scooters were launched earlier this year. Recently, the company has announced that nine S1 Pro e-scooters will be delivered to the Netherlands Embassy in India. These models will be painted in a unique colour called 'Dutch Oranje'. Ola Electric is also planning to offer custom paint finishes for customers looking to personalize their S1 Pro e-scooters.

The EV-maker has also confirmed that customer deliveries of the S1 and S1 Pro will commence in the coming weeks. Having said that, the company hasn't provided a specific date.

The Ola S1 Pro comes with a 3.97 kWh battery pack that can be recharged to 100% in 6 hours 30 minutes using a conventional charging port. It can sprint from 0-60 km/h in 5 seconds and has a top speed of 115 km/h.

The 9 customised Ola S1 Pro electric scooters will feature a custom orange shade that is the official colour of the Netherlands.

Ola S1 Pro electric scooters will be used by the Netherlands Embassy in India.

Ola Electric has announced that it will deliver a total of 9 customised units of the S1 Pro to the Netherlands Embassy in New Delhi, and to the Consulates General in Mumbai and Bengaluru. This will happen once the company starts delivering its electric scooters to the customers in the coming weeks.

The 9 customised Ola S1 Pro electric scooters will feature a custom orange shade that is the official colour of the Netherlands. Ola Electric has named this colour the 'Dutch Oranje'. Apart from that, these EVs will also have the official logo of the Netherlands.

The Ola S1 Pro, along with the S1, was launched in India earlier this year. It has been priced at Rs 1,29,999 (ex-showroom). It comes with a 3.97 kWh battery pack that can be recharged to 100% in 6 hours 30 minutes using a conventional charging port. The S1 Pro can sprint from 0-60 km/h in 5 seconds and has a top speed of 115 km/h.

Some of the other features of the Ola S1 Pro include reverse park assist, hill hold system, cruise control, onboard navigation, geo-fencing, proximity lock/unlock, remote boot lock/unlock and more.

The trademark applications, that have been filed earlier this month, reveal that Hero MotoCorp has registered multiple names.

Multiple trademark applications filed by Hero MotoCorp have surfaced online. They suggest that the two-wheeler giant could introduce a new subsidiary for its electric vehicles. This new brand could be named 'Vida'.

The trademark applications reveal that Hero MotoCorp has registered multiple names including Vida MotoCorp, Vida Scooters, Vida Motorcycles, Vida Electric, Vida EV and Vida Mobility. These applications have been filed earlier this month.

Hero MotoCorp has recently confirmed that its electric 2-wheeler project is in the advanced stages. The company will launch its first electric vehicle in India by March 2022.

Hero MotoCorp's upcoming E2W will be manufactured at the brand's Chittoor plant in Andhra Pradesh, which is said to be eco-friendly and employs sustainable manufacturing practices.

The S1 Pro comes with three power modes - Normal, Sport and Hyper, whereas the S1 misses out on the Hyper mode. Although the motor is is the same in these two scooters, the smaller battery pack in the base variant cannot provide the juice required for the Hyper mode.

Riding the Ola S1 Pro

Both the Ola scooters come with a Mid Drive IPM electric motor capable of producing 5.5 kW of rated power and 8.5 kW of peak power, with 58 Nm of torque produced at the motor shaft and powering the wheels via belt drive. However, the S1 Pro gets the benefit of a 3.97 kWh battery pack powering the motor, whereas the S1 only gets a 2.98 kWh battery pack. This is enough to get the S1 Pro and S1 claimed 0-60 km/h times of 5 seconds and 7 seconds and top speeds of 115 km/h and 90 km/h, respectively.

We got to sample the S1 Pro at a private facility on the outskirts of Bengaluru and listed below are our first impressions.

The Ola S1 is the first product from a startup giant and performance is certainly the most important aspect to test. Still running a Beta version of the software and with ongoing improvements, there were some rough edges, but the overall experience was good enough to state with confidence that petrol engine competitors really need to pay attention to this electric rival. Improvements can be delivered to users via OTA updates and once sorted, this scooter should become the new performance benchmark in the Indian market.

Getting the S1 Pro off the stand is very easy, thanks to the light 125 kg kerb weight (121 kg for the S1). While that figure in itself might raise some eyebrows (Honda Activa 6G weighs 18kgs less), what is relevant is that the S1 Pro hides a lot of this weight thanks to the low centre of gravity, making it feel much lighter and nimbler than the figures suggest. In fact, at parking speeds and even on the move, this scooter feels lighter than the Activa.

Refinement

As is usual with an electric scooter, the refinement is a highlight of the Ola S1. There is obviously no engine here and no moving parts at idle. So, the refinement when off the throttle can absolutely freak you out if you are new to electrics - a matter of getting used to! Even on the move, NVH remains good and only a faint drone of the electric motor can be heard and felt by the rider. Refinement is a full class better than the Ather 450 when we had tested it, which had a distinct resonant vibration on the floorboard and also a good amount of whine from the motor and fan. At idle, be aware that your vehicle can be ON and any unintended accelerator input can send it flying!

If this degree of refinement isn't to your liking - customised vehicle sounds can be set through the inbuilt speakers to make it sound the way you want.

Riding Modes

Acceleration is good. In fact, it's so good for a scooter, that you will leave many other road users amazed! Ola claims that it will hit 40 km/h within 3 seconds, 60 km/h in 5 seconds and reach a top speed of 115 km/h. I find no reason to suspect these figures. In fact, we were given access to private roads to test the performance, but the weather conditions were absolutely unforgiving (as is evident in the pics), and the S1 Pro on Hyper mode turned out to be more intense than could be experienced in such conditions. There was effortless pull till 90 km/h and overtaking manoeuvres at city speeds just need a proper twist of the throttle. Doubt that even the 150cc scooters (Aerox 155, SR160, etc.) can come close to this level of performance!

The S1 Pro comes with three power modes - Normal, Sport and Hyper, whereas the S1 misses out on the Hyper mode. Although the motor is is the same in these two scooters, the smaller battery pack in the base variant cannot provide the juice required for the Hyper mode.

At the moment, Normal feels the most sorted among the riding modes, providing an almost seamless experience on and off the throttle. There is still enough pep off idle and also at city speeds to keep up with a 125cc scooter while also providing considerably better range - our scooter with 98% battery charge showed an estimated 150 km in Normal Mode, as against 121 km in Sport and 94 km in Hyper.

Sport Mode feels very comparable to what I remember of the original Ather 450, but in the Pro - it feels like a midway between the Normal and Hyper modes. The talking point here is definitely the Hyper Mode. Negatives first - riding the scooter in this mode felt a lot like taming a horse with some amount of throttle lag and a quick burst of acceleration after that, along with full power loss and again throttle lag felt at even a slight touch of the brake lever. But issues aside, it has the fastest acceleration I have experienced on a scooter and how!

Throttle Lag and tuning issues

As mentioned above, all is not well with the way the motor puts the torque down. Ola has clarified that the power delivery will be sorted in the production versions and further improved over time via OTA updates. But it is only fair to report things as we have experienced on the test bikes. The product feels rushed into production in this core aspect.

For a start, there is a throttle lag which is noticeable at times and gets annoying on occasion. Accentuated, especially when pulling the throttle wide open, the scooter does nothing for almost a full second before realising what is happening and responding accordingly. On a couple of occasions, this felt longer than a second even and I was beginning to wonder if the scooter got switched off, when it started shooting forward like a bat out of hell! To make matters worse, power delivery gets completely messed up when you touch the brake levers even slightly. As an example, when taking a U-turn after slowing down, if your hand is even ever-so-slightly pressing the brake lever, the scooter does nothing. The logic may be implemented to reduce brake pad wear, or to prevent the motor from getting stressed against the brakes, But it feels so unnatural when that happens.

Simply put, if you are used to petrol scooters and this is your first electric experience, take it easy initially, or it may not feel like a natural transition! The good news is that the glitch is felt much lesser in Normal mode. 

On a lighter note - I wonder how the Ola marketing / stunt team was able to do those burn-out videos!

Suspension and Handling

The Ola S1 uses a very unconventional suspension setup, with a monoshock at the front connected to the wheels with a single-sided swingarm / fork, and an offset, horizontally mounted monoshock at the rear. 12-inch wheels at either end are shod with wide 110/70 R12 MRF Zapper N tubeless tyres.

In terms of the ride, the suspension setup feels at par and as unsophisticated as with the conventional setup on most other scooters. Irregularities on the road surface can be felt, and larger potholes do make their presence felt. The low centre of gravity makes it feel light and flickable. But on the flip side, it feels jittery at higher speeds over broken sections of road and does not have the enthusiastic edge of the suspension setup of the Ather 450.

The 110/70 R12 tyres are wider than offered on the competition. However, with the torque on tap in the Hyper Mode can sometimes make the rear scramble for traction. On surfaces like broken tarmac, gravel, light slush, etc., harsh throttle input can get the tyre to lose grip. Due to the unfavourable weather situation though, I cannot really comment on the performance of these tyres.

Ground Clearance

The S1's ground clearance is rated at 165 mm, which is par for the segment. We got to experience the scooter over some speed-breakers and broken roads and ground clearance did not seem to be a major concern.

Braking

Braking duties are handled by a 220 mm disc brake at the front and a 180 mm disc at the rear. ABS is sorely missed, given the performance on offer. The S1 offers just the mandatory CBS. Levers are of the non-adjustable type, but easily fall to hand and don’t require much effort to pull for hard braking. In fact, the brakes are so sharp that the braking might be termed dangerous. The scooter badly needs ABS to avoid the rear wheel locking up in tricky situations! A little more play and feel on the levers will also be much appreciated.

Regenerative Braking

The Ola spec sheet does not mention regenerative braking. So I asked and received a positive confirmation that regeneration - both automatic and forced is included. Manual regeneration can be engaged by twisting the throttle in the opposite direction. Yes, in case you are new to the EV world, you read that right. However, I cannot attest to this as I could not detect even the slightest hint of regeneration getting engaged despite multiple tries. The Ola team had already clarified that the system does not give any visible indication on the display when the regen is engaged. The opposite twist of the throttle exists for another purpose too - Reverse Assist (explained later).

All our media vehicles were provided with a near full charge and this could be one reason why. The logic implemented in the Ather 450 completely de-activates manual regen when the battery charge is deemed sufficient. So one cannot discount that possibility with the Ola as well.

Reverse Assist

Reverse assist is a feature unique to electric scooters (leaving aside the top-end American cruisers) and the convenience needs to be experienced, especially by ladies and those of us worried about the 792 mm seat height. Those with heavier two-wheelers in the garage will be wondering about the need for such a feature on a scooter, but for at least some, the convenience of being able to pull the bike out of a tricky situation on your own, is unbeatable.

Off idle, hit the dedicated Reverse Assist function on the LHS switchgear and the hazard lamps are turned on, with the scooter also making a warning chime to warn other road users about the reverse movement. Provide accelerator input (twist in the opposite direction of the normal) and the scooter slowly moves backwards as required, with a very gentle creep and at speeds of up to only 2 km/h. The reverse feels a bit weird at first, but it doesn't take much to start appreciating it. The function makes it a breeze to pull the scooter out of parking lots and inclines. Is there a risk of falling while reversing? Not really. I tried giving maximum throttle inputs to try and shake it, but it only moves in a very smooth fashion.

Range and Charging

The Ola S1 Pro comes with a 3.97 kWh battery pack, whereas the S1 gets a 2.98 KW battery pack. Both have a claimed rating of IP67 against the elements and come with a 3 year, unlimited km warranty cover. While On the topic of the battery, Ola also claims that the scooter is "water-resistant" and that the battery is "flame retardant".

The ARAI certified figures are 181 km for the S1 Pro, whereas the base variant makes do with 121 km - both figures as per the IDC cycle. On our test scooter (S1 Pro), the range prediction with 98% charge was of 150 km in the Normal, 121 km in Sport and 94 km in Hyper modes. Leaving aside a big margin for error, a useable range of 100 km in the Normal mode makes the S1 Pro a good candidate for worry-free city commutes for most people, even in the larger metro cities. In case longer runs needing a quick top-up, Ola promises to establish the largest network of superchargers in India in 400+ cities, 100k + charging points, etc. Connected to an OLA hypercharger - the scooter can be topped up with a range of 75 km (ARAI) in just 18 minutes.

For home charging. Ola provides a portable 750 W charger that can charge the scooter from 0% to 100% within 6 hours and 30 minutes on the S1 Pro and 4 hours and 48 minutes on the S1. Ola's Hyperchargers and portable chargers are designed to withstand the elements and rated IP55 and IP67 respectively. The portable charger cuts off automatically once the battery is fully charged while also coming equipped with surge protection. So, it can be left overnight for charging and the convenience is unmatched with the size only double that of an older laptop charger! However, I wonder if it could become a popular target for thieves owing to the small form factor. Owners with basement /stilt parking in large apartments, office facilities, etc. may also think twice before leaving this portable charger unattended for all those hours needed to fully charge the scooter.

Continue reading the discussion on the 2021 Ola S1 electric scooter on our forum.