Waiting for Ola S1 test ride? Here's when you can ride the e-scooter

Ola Electric is all set to let its customers take a test ride of the S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters after Diwali. The Chennai-based electric two-wheeler manufacturer has announced that the electric scooters will be available for test rides from November 10.

Ola Electric had launched the two electric scooters, S1 and S1 Pro, in India on August 15. The booking for these two scooters were opened for two days after a month of the launch. The EV-maker claimed it has already garnered more than ₹1,100 crore of business through the booking process. The next phase of booking is set to start from November 1, just ahead of Diwali.

The Ola S1 electric scooter has been launched at a price of ₹1 lakh. The price of the e-scooter is ex showroom and will vary from state to state depending on subsidies on offer. The S1 model has a claimed range of around 120 kms on single charge. Available in 10 different colour options, the Ola S1 draws power from an 8.5 kW electric motor clubbed with a 3.97 kWh battery pack.

The S1 Pro electric scooter is more capable. It was launched at a price of ₹1.30 lakh. The S1 Pro has a range of around 180 kms on single charge, thanks to a larger batter pack, and a top speed of 115 kmph.

Though the company maintains that the delivery of the S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters will begin in time, there are reports that it could take more than two more months for the company to start despatching units. Ola Electric is manufacturing the e-scooters at its Futurefactory near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

"Hi, Test rides start Nov 10 & most customers prefer a test ride before paying the balance amount. We've aligned the remainder payment with the start of test rides so you can test ride at your convenience & then pay balance. Be sure, this will have no impact on delivery (1/2)

— Ola Electric (@OlaElectric) October 20, 2021

Ola Futurefactory is said to be the largest and most advanced two-wheeler manufacturing facility in the world. The factory, which has been built in the last six months, is entirely run by a group of 10,000 women. The first e-scooter came out of the factory within six months from the start of building of the phase one of the EV maker's plant. At full scale, it is expected to manufacture around 20 lakh electric scooters in the initial phase.

Ola recently announced that it has raised over 200 million dollars from Falcon Edge, Softbank and others. The lenders have put Ola Electric's valuation at around 3 billion dollars ahead of the company's plan to launch its IPO.