While Tesla electric cars are creating a sensation on the Internet, the Indian ride-sharing company Ola is targeting the sentiments of the Indians with its all-new Ola Electric Scooter. Available in 10 different colors, including red, sky blue, yellow, silver, gold, pink, black, navy blue, grey, and white, Ola plans to launch two E-scooter variants – the Ola S1 and Ola S1 Pro.

With nearly 500,000 people turning live for the launch event and an estimated $2.75 billion in valuation, the automobile industry is waiting to watch the performance of the Ola Electric Bike on the road. The last time India witnessed a similar event was when TATA unveiled NANO, the world’s cheapest car.

In a hunt to find out the expectations of an average Indian consumer about the all-new Ola Electric Bike, Real Research conducted a pre-release survey with around 30,000 participants, including males and females aged above 21. The results of the survey are as follows:

Highlights

  • 62.93% strongly agree that electric vehicles are the future of transportation.
  • 70.08% are aware of the launch of the Ola electric scooter.
  • 42.07% are extremely satisfied with the specifications of the Ola electric scooter.
  • 48.16% feel the Ola scooter is overpriced.

Are Electric Vehicles the Future of Transportation?

The historic decline in global oil demand during the pandemic has created a significant shift to electric vehicles in the developing world. While electric vehicles seem to penetrate all modes of road transport, two/three-wheelers are easy to electrify because of their short driving distance requirement.

According to IEA, the current sales of two/three-wheelers in Asia will increase from 25 million to 50 million in 2030, with 3.7 million sales in India alone.

When asked about the future of transportation, 62.93% of the users strongly agreed that electric vehicles are the future of transportation, 13.69% somewhat agreed, while 17.82% of the participants remained neutral.

EVs are the future of mobility
Figure 1: EVs are the future of mobility

Also, 70.08% of the respondents said they are well aware of the launch of the Ola e-scooter in the Asian and European markets, while 9.92% are not aware of Ola launching its first electric two-wheeler.

Ola Electric Scooter Specifications and Features

Technically, the Ola S1 and S1 Pro have displayed some of the best in class features with top speeds of 90 and 115 km/h and speed ranges of 121 and 181 km, respectively. It is powered by an 8.5kW hyperdrive motor that helps accelerate from 0 to 40 km/h in only 3 seconds.

Also, the Ola electric duo boasts some new-age features such as the Proximity Lock, Remote Boot Lock, Call Reception, Infotainment, Anti-theft Alert System, WiFi / Bluetooth / GPS Connectivity, Onboard Navigation, Limp Home Mode, Reverse Mode, Hill Hold, Get Home Mode, Cruise Control, Take Me Home Lights, Find My Scooter, HMI Moods with sounds Electronic Steering Control Lock, Voice Assistant, etc.

You can view the complete list of features here.

Respondents satisfied with Ola e-scooter
Figure 2: Respondents satisfied with Ola e-scooter specifications and features

We asked the respondents if they are satisfied with the specifications and features of the Ola Electric Scooter, for which 42.07% said they are extremely satisfied, 22.55% said they are ‘Very Satisfied,’ and 8.92% said they are ‘Moderately Satisfied.’

Ola Electric Scooter Price in India

With the reservation of the Ola Electric Scooter started on the 15th of July 2021, the total number of reservations hit 100,000 (100K) in only two days and racing up with a “Mission Electric” to have no more petrol two-wheelers to be sold after 2025.

And we could see the results reflect in our survey as well. Nearly 59.11% answered ‘Yes’ when asked if they are willing to buy the Ola Electric Scooter, while 21.15% said No. There were 19.74% of the respondents who were ready to buy the e-scooter if they get a subsidy. Good News is many State Governments are granting subsidies, with Gujarat and Delhi topping the charts.

And we could see the results reflect in our survey as well. Nearly 59.11% answered ‘Yes’ when asked if they are willing to buy the Ola Electric Scooter, while 21.15% said No. There were 19.74% of the respondents who were ready to buy the e-scooter if they get a subsidy. Good News is many State Governments are granting subsidies, with Gujarat and Delhi topping the charts.

During the online launch event, the Co-Founder of Ola Cabs, Bhavish Aggarwal, announced that the Ola S1 would be available at Rs. 99,999 ($1,350 USD) and S1 Pro at Rs. 1,29,999 ($1780 USD), ex-showroom price.

The S1 and S1 Pro booking will begin from the 8th of September, 2021, and delivery will start by October 2021.

The debate started on Twitter, few participants felt that the price range was too high for Indian families, and a few argued it was on par with the competition.

We did ask the same question to our participants, and here is what they said:

Ola e-scooters are expensive
Figure 3: Ola e-scooters are expensive
  • 48.16% of the survey participants said that the Ola scooter is expensive.
  • 19.67% think that the price is normal.
  • Only 7.99% felt it was affordable.

Reasons Why People Are Willing To Buy Electric Vehicles

To add on, respondents were asked what is the main reason they are buying an electric scooter. At the top of the reasons is that Ola scooter expenses are far less than the required expenses for most cars. Moreover, the Indian government is offering a subsidy on Ola Electric scooter.

Electric scooters are pollution-free
Figure 4: Electric scooters are pollution-free

Specifically, 27.45% point out that ‘Savings in fuel expenses’ is the main reason they would buy an electric scooter. After that, 24.65% of the survey respondents said that ‘It requires less maintenance. Additionally, 22.60% note that electric scooters are ‘Pollution free’. Therefore, they would consider buying an electric scooter mainly for that reason.

Reasons Why People Are Hesitant To Buy Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles are the undisputed future of mobility. The technology is becoming popular and upscaling in mass adoption. However, people are still hesitant in purchasing electric vehicles.

electric vehicles challenges
Figure 5: Challenges faced when using electric vehicles

Firstly, buying costs are higher (44.98%). Secondly, 12.22% note that they are facing problems with the vehicle’s range on a single full charge. Also, 9.84% say that there are not enough charging stations. Lastly, 6.72% pointed out the high battery replacement cost.

The survey went on to ask respondents if they would buy an electric vehicle in the next five years. ‘Yes’ ( 57.95%), ‘No’ (11.21%), and ‘Not sure’ (11.81%).

In conclusion, electric vehicle driving is rapidly increasing. Some of the respondents think that the price is too high, yet some are okay with the price. The introduction of e-scooters is an acceleration of the public mass adopting electric vehicles.

Methodology

Survey TitleSurvey on OLA Launching a New Electric Bike on the 15th of August
DurationAugust 11 – August 18, 2021
Number of Participants30,000
DemographicsMales and females, aged 21 to 99
Participating CountriesIndia