Purchase window for Ola Electric scooter opens tomorrow: Five things to note

Ola Electric S1 and S1 Pro scooters were launched in the Indian market on August 15 at a starting price of ₹1 lakh and amid much fanfare. And while the price will vary depending upon the different subsidies offered in different parts of the country for electric vehicles, Ola Electric is banking on pre-launch reservations to bolster prospects. For anyone looking for an outright purchase, the window opens come Wednesday (September 8).

(Update: Step-by-step guide on how to purchase Ola Electric scooter)

Ola Electric had opened pre-launch reservations for a refundable amount of ₹499 in July and had received an overwhelming response. In subsequent weeks, Ola Electric confirmed having received orders from around 1,000 cities. The subsequent launch on August 15 may have furthered the order log.

Now, anyone looking at completing the purchase can do so from Wednesday onwards. Here are five key points to note:

*Ola Electric does not currently have a dealer network and will follow a direct-to-home model for its S1 and S1 Pro battery-powered scooters. Interested customers will still have to log on to the company website and pay the booking amount of ₹499.

*Any customer looking at completing the entire buying process online can do so from Wednesday onwards. These customers stand a chance to get priority delivery on a ‘first serve, first reserved’ basis.

*Ola Electric recently announced partnerships with various leading banks and financial institutions including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Prime and TATA Capital to provide loans to its customers. Others banks that Ola has tied up with include Bank of Baroda, Axis Bank, IDFC First Bank, IndusInd Bank, AU Small Finance Bank, Jana Small Finance Bank and YES Bank. (Read full report here)

*Ola Electric scooters have a claimed range of around 180 kms and a top speed of 115 kmph. These figures are for the S1 Pro model. Overall, there are also 10 colour options to choose from. The preferred colour option can be selected during booking and the company website informs that the choice may also be changed at a later date, if a customer so desires.

*Ola Electric scooters will be manufactured at its facility in Tamil Nadu. This is touted as the world's largest factory for electric scooters. It will eventually have a capacity to roll out 2 million units each year and will also serve foreign markets.