The number of new manufacturers entering the EV segment goes on to show that the electric revolution in our country is slowly gaining pace. Ola is considered to be one of the top dogs when it comes to hired mobility solutions in India and is now looking forward to enter the EV segment. Reports are flowing online which suggest that Ola is in talks with various state governments to set up India’s largest e-scooter manufacturing plant.
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It is worth noting that a few months back, Ola announced the acquisition of Etergo BV, an innovative electric scooter OEM, based out of Amsterdam. With this acquisition, Ola Electric also announced its entry into the premium electric two-wheeler market, both globally and nationally.
Ola in talks with State Governments
Reports claim that Ola Electric, the EV arm of the ride-hailing company, has been engaging with state governments, including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, to set up an e-scooter manufacturing plant with an annual capacity of about 2 million units. The facility is proposed to be established on a 100-acre land and is envisaged to be state-of-the-art, use solar energy and have zero-effluent footprint. Ola Electric plans to start production in the next 18-24 months and will go against the likes of Bajaj Auto, Hero MotoCorp-backed AtherEnergy, Hero Electric and others that currently make electric two-wheelers in the country.
Etergo – A Brief overview
Talking about Etergo, the EV manufacturer which Ola acquired, it already has the AppScooter which is available for pre-order in its home country. The all-electric AppScooter has won multiple awards across the world for its innovative design and engineering at CES 2019 and Automotive Brand Contest, Germany amongst others. First revealed in 2018, the AppScooter uses swappable high energy density batteries to deliver a range up to 240km and class-leading acceleration. Since Ola Electric intends to launch the new product in 2021, it could be this very scooter or a new product which borrows its USPs, especially that massive range.
For that impressive range, the Appscooter boasts of portable batteries which weigh 7.5 kilos and need 2.3 hours of charging. The battery pack consists of three modules, each capable of making the scooter cover a distance of 80 kilometres. The user can choose to plug in all three at once to achieve maximum range. The scooter can go from 0 – 45 kph in 3.9 seconds, offers 50 litres of storage space underneath the saddle and comes fitted with a colour display which supports navigation, apps and music.
The Appscooter is fitted with an AC Brushless motor which is rated for a maximum output of 6 KW and a nominal output of 3 KW. The maximum torque output for the motor is rated at 50 Nm, while maximum wheel torque is rated at 135 Nm. Depending on how many battery modules are purchased with the scooter, with all three in place, the maximum speed it can achieve is 95 kph. Ola Electric is currently running several pilots to deploy electric vehicles and charging solutions across cities with a focus on 2 and 3 wheelers. The company aims to build a suite of electric and smart urban mobility solutions for global citizens, both in India and around the world.