Ola has been off to a flying start with its S1 and S1 Pro scooters thanks to the overall package that they offer at a competitive price. However, things have been pretty rough for the brand with delays in deliveries. Now, a video has surfaced over the internet where one can see an Ola S1 electric scooter burning. This incident took place in Pune. There is no statement from the owner but Ola has mentioned that they are looking into the matter and are constantly in touch with the owner to understand the situation.
What exactly happened
Firstly, we don’t know whether it is the Ola S1 or S1 Pro. It can be deduced that the temperature was quite hot and the scooter was parked in the open sun. The reason for this situation is speculated as the battery pack clashed with the thermal runaway as the smoke is dark and thick. The Ola electric uses a Li-ion battery pack. This is not the latest technology but it has its own benefits. The batteries with Li-ion are highly prone to thermal runaway and they have high energy density. The drawback of this type of battery is that if it ever undergoes fire there is no other way than to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire outburst.
Official Statement
Ola released a statement that said, “We are aware of an incident in Pune that happened with one of our scooters and are investigating to understand the root cause and will share more updates in the next few days. We’re in constant touch with the customer who is absolutely safe. Vehicle safety is of paramount importance at Ola and we are committed to the highest quality standards in our products. We take this incident seriously.”
Ola S1 and Ola S1 pro: a quick recap
The Ola electric scooter comes in two variants namely the S1 and S1 Pro. The S1 gets a 2.98kWh battery and it weighs 121kg. The S1 variant will achieve 0-40km/h in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 90 km/h. It has a claimed range of 121km. It will get normal and sports driving modes. The S1 Pro gets a 3.97 kWh battery and weighs 125kg. The S1 Pro will achieve 0-40km/h in 3 seconds and go on to a top speed of 115km/h. It will achieve a range of 181km.
It gets driving modes like normal, sport, and hyper. The Ola electric scooter can be charged with a portable home charger of 750W. This will charge the S1 and S1 Pro to 100% in just 4.50 hours and 6.30 hours respectively. The Ola hyper charger station can charge it to 50% in just 18 minutes. Both scooters also get a torque figure of 58nm.