Review: Ola S1 Air Electric Scooter features more, cuts costs
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New Delhi : The electric two wheeler manufacturer has recently launched the S1 Air Electric. Ola Electric currently has around 40 per cent market share in the electric scooter segment in India and the company is eyeing a bigger piece of the pie with newer and more affordable products. That’s where the new S1 Air electric scooter comes in. The most affordable offering from the brand still takes all the good parts of the S1 Pro, but brings it into a more affordable price bracket to attract a wider set of customers.
What is special about Ola S1 Air?
The S1 Air electric scooter is a more affordable e-scooter based on the company’s S1 platform. It was initially unveiled in October 2022 at an introductory price of Rs 80,000 (ex-showroom). The model has gone through several changes including multiple battery and motor options in the last 10 months before reaching the customers. The starting price of the final model on sale now is Rs 1.10 lakh, which will increase to Rs 1.20 lakh (ex-showroom after subsidy) after August 15, 2023. It is almost Rs 30,000 cheaper than the existing Ola S1 Pro.
new gen 2 platform
The S1 Air is based on the new Gen2 platform, which will underpin future models from the company, including an all-new entry-level offering. Ola says that the new frame is now 14 percent lighter and more rigid than the Gen1 model. It also promises 25 per cent lower manufacturing cost as compared to its predecessor models. Ola has also adopted a re-designed battery pack, which comes with a better BMS and stronger insulation for added safety.
The new platform enables a flat floorboard, which while providing comfort to your feet, makes it easy to store luggage or knick-knacks between the legs. The front apron pocket has also been updated to hold the smartphone more securely. The under seat storage space in the scooter has come down from 36 liters to 34 litres, which is still huge by conventional scooter standards.
How is the style different?
The styling of the S1 Air is almost the same as that of the S1 Pro. The new neon green scheme looks good, but the matte finish doesn’t feel premium enough. It will also not be more prone to attracting dust and smudges in the long run. There is black cladding on the lower portion of the side panels, giving the model a dual-tone treatment, while the lower panel is only half done to cover the swingarms on either side.
Ola has also revised the seat cover, which looks basic without changing the design, while the split grab train from the S1 Pro has been replaced with a new chunky single unit. The cost-cutting has also seen the scooter replace the luxurious alloys with new steel wheels and the color options have also reduced from 12 on the S1 Pro to six on the S1 Air.
how is the ride
The S1 Air gets a more cost-effective BLDC hub motor instead of a sophisticated mid-drive unit on the S1 Pro. The electric motor is tuned to produce 4.5 kW (6 bhp) of top power, while continuous power output stands at 2.7 kW (3.6 bhp). It is almost half as compared to S1 Pro. ‘Hyper’ mode has been deprecated. Instead, you only get Normal and Sport modes, which work quite well. The S1 Air takes time to get up to speed, but is quite quick in both normal and sport. Its top speed remains the same at 90 kmph. That said the power delivery isn’t the smoothest when you open the throttle and we would have liked a little smoother throttle response. Reverse mode especially feels jerky.
How is the new suspension?
Ola has started using telescopic forks with twin shock absorbers at the rear in the S1 Air. At the moment the setup is very simple as compared to the S1 Pro and a big difference is the front monoshock unit on the S1 Pro. The change is believed to be a result of the cost-effectiveness offered by the telescopic forks. The company also says that the telescopic forks are capable of delivering results similar to the monoshock unit. The ride quality itself is comfortable but some harsh bumps take a toll on the back of the rider. Most riders won’t have any complaints about the comfort.
Is it full of features?
The S1 Air is equipped with a central computing system, which enables faster processing, diagnostics and service capability in the scooter. The model also gets online support with OTA updates bringing new features in the future. It will continue to get the 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth connectivity, password-protected ignition, keyless access to storage space, digi-locker, navigation, UI customization options and more. Party mode is available with the unified speaker and cruise control and reverse mode are also available.
how is the range?
The S1 Air uses a 2.98 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 125 km on a single charge in normal mode. In Sport mode, it reduces to 87 km. The Ola S1 Air feels built for the cost and that is not a bad thing. It may be less vulnerable at some places.
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