Ola S1 Air has a claimed riding range of 101 km on a single charge in the Eco mode and it gets a number of changes over the S1 and S1 Pro
Ola Electric has today announced the launch of the S1 Air in the domestic market and it is competitively priced at Rs.79,999 (ex-showroom, New Delhi) – special introductory price valid only until October 24, 2022. The EV startup aims at dedicated petrol-powered scooters by aggressively positioning this e-scooter and it has some noticeable changes compared to the S1 and S1 Pro to get to that point.
Gone is the floorboard from the S1 and S1 Pro as Ola has opted for a flat floorboard with the exclusion of the hump. The single-sided front suspension has been ditched in favour of the twin telescopic front forks while the conventional dual shock absorbers have stepped in to replace the single-sided unit. But their impact on the ride quality has to be waited and seen.
The Ola S1 Air has a kerb weight of just under 100 kilograms (26 kg lighter than the S1 Pro) and is equipped with a new double-sided swingarm as well. Other changes are a hub motor positioned at the back and a reworked single-piece grab rail. As for the braking, the S1 Air uses a cheaper drum brake setup at the front and the rear while the black alloy wheels are no more as steel wheels are used.
The base Ola electric scooter features a 2.5 kWh battery pack, which is claimed to do zero to 100 per cent in four hours and 30 minutes (8.5 kW motor and 4 kWh battery in S1 Pro). The electric motor has a peak power output of 4.5 kW and the top speed is rated at 90 kmph (115 kmph in S1 Pro). It is said to do 101 km in the Eco mode. The under-seat storage of the Ola S1 Air stands at 36 litres (2L lower than S1 and S1 Pro).
Just like its bigger siblings, the Ola S1 Air is equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen TFT display along with three ride modes namely Eco, Normal and Sports, Bluetooth connectivity and call functions. The instrument cluster runs on MoveOS 3.0 and it gains features such as a hill hold function, multiple rider profiles, mood settings, companion app, music playback, navigation, vacation mode and so on.
The deliveries of the S1 Air will commence in the first quarter of 2023 (January to March 2023 period). The design of the new entry-level electric scooter remains almost similar to that of its bigger siblings except for the blackened bottom panel that stretches from the sides and the sear is also different. It does not get cruise control but the reverse mode is there.