Ola unveiled its first electric scooters—Ola S1 and Ola S1 Pro—in August 2021. Despite the company’s claims, the electric scooters haven’t had a smooth ride. Ever since their launch, reports surrounding various Ola S1 Pro issues have been popping up all over the internet. Unhappy customers have been voicing their resentment on various platforms.
It all started with delayed deliveries, owing to reasons unknown so far. Even after deliveries started happening, things started going haywire. In this article, we have made a list of all Ola S1 problems that have been reported so far. While some of them have already been acknowledged by the brand, some are still left unattended.
List Of All Ola S1, Ola S1 Pro Issues
1. Ola S1 Insurance Premium
The first instance of an Ola S1 Pro that came into the limelight was related to a discrepancy in the insurance premium. A Twitter user named Rahul Prasad posted that he had paid ₹7,471 for insurance, while the policy documents showed the premium paid to be ₹6,695. Further to the noticed discrepancy, he added that as of then, there was no option provided to the buyers to choose their own insurance policies at the time of purchase.
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Upon investigation, we were able to track several insurance providers (GoDigit, Acko, etc.), which have now begun offering insurance plans, so it is safe to assume that the brand took note of the incident and has fixed the discrepancy.
2. Getting Dented, Scratched Ola S1 Pro
Buying something new is always exciting right? The anticipation of the product arriving at your location is something that adds value to the overall shopping experience. But, it all goes sideways if you receive a faulty product. Your dreams of unwrapping the product in mint condition suddenly shatter. Similar was the case with a Twitter user named Karthik Varma
The user ordered an Ola S1 Pro in Visakhapatnam and received it in December 2021. Much to his surprise, the scooter that they received had uneven panel gaps, broken body parts, dents, and cracks. When he filed a complaint, the assigned manager promised him that the scooter would be repaired, which is pretty bizarre, considering the fact that the person ordered a new product, not a refurbished one. Even in the worst-case scenario, it would have made much more sense for Ola to provide the customer with a fresh replacement of the Ola S1 Pro.
An OLA S1 Pro was delivered to me at the Visakhapatnam event today.
— Karthik Varma (@leovarmak) December 22, 2021
It has cracks & dents all over the body. The manager says she will get it repaired before delivery. But repair is not the option. I paid for a new product, not a refurbished product@OlaElectric @don4every1 #Ola pic.twitter.com/ifZnDsJaXg
3. Brand-New Ola S1 Pro Lasts Just 6KM
A long drive is inevitable when one buys a new vehicle. Sadly, for a Twitter user who goes by the name Toadie, the first long drive did not turn out to be too long. Their brand-new Ola S1 Pro started producing screeching noises in less than 6km. Additionally, the scooter’s headlight faltered. Clearly, this must not have been the most pleasant first impression for the customer, but it got even worse.
@bhash hi Bavish, my Ola S1 pro was delivered yesterday. In less than 6km of drive aftr delivery it has to be towed away for screeching noises and headlight issues.What irks me more is that I'm yet to get my bike back despite promising to bring it back in few hours @OlaElectric pic.twitter.com/pHi0uEPGYi
— Toadie 🐸 (@ToadTweets) December 22, 2021(Video) Serious Issues With Ola Electric Scooter S1 & S1 Pro - Ola Scooter Problems Reported By Owners
After Toadie begrudgingly had his new Ola S1 Pro towed away to the workshop for repair, they had to keep waiting for it to return to him. They were promised that the scooter will be repaired and returned in a few hours, but that apparently did not happen. Their misfortune did not seem to end as the Ola S1 Pro was returned with broken number plates and oil marks from the workshop. The tweet containing the picture has been embedded below, and it sure does not look like a mint-condition scooter to us.
Update:
— Toadie 🐸 (@ToadTweets) December 22, 2021
Bike is back with broken plates and oil marks of workshop all over. And yes it's a brand new bike. Not going the way i wanted @bhash @PowerDrift @carandbike @MotostoriesIn @MotorBeam pic.twitter.com/xXN8xLZXga
4. Ola S1 Pro Catches Fire
Not taking away anything from the first three incidents that we listed, this Ola S1 Pro issue is on a totally different level when it comes to severity and risk. In a recent turn of events, an Ola S1 Pro caught fire in broad daylight on a busy Pune street. The incident grabbed a lot of attention on the internet and Ola had to issue a public statement about it.
As summer arrives, it’s a real test for survival of #EV in India. #EVonFire #BatteryMalfunction pic.twitter.com/Xxv9qS4KSu
— Saharsh Damani, MBA, CFA, MS (Finance) (@saharshd) March 26, 2022
In a statement to ETAuto, Ola 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 and will take appropriate action and share more in the coming days.”
While it is good to see the brand officially acknowledging its fault, it has still not confirmed what actually caused the fire. There are high chances that it all happened because of a poor-quality Lithium-Ion battery or an unwieldy battery management system, but these are mere assumptions for now.
5. Ola S1 Pro Accelerator Glitch: Unwanted Reverse Mode Activation At 90kmph
Recently, a video of an Ola S1 Pro running in reverse at 90kmph went viral on social media. The Ola S1 Pro, in this video, has been placed flat on the surface, and instead of moving forward, its rear wheel is apparently running in reverse at 90kmph, which is not just odd, but also extremely risky. In an earlier incident, the scooter automatically went into reverse mode at 102kmph.
This issue occurred most likely because of a software glitch, which can be fixed easily if the company takes appropriate measures swiftly. For those unaware, the Ola S1 Pro has a “convenient” reverse mode, which can make the scooter go in the reverse direction when needed. The feature relies solely on the software, which appears to have malfunctioned (at least) a couple of times.
6. Promised Features, Undelivered
There were several features that Ola had promised in August 2021 during the launch of its electric scooters. However, features like cruise control, hill hold, navigation assist, and others are still nowhere to be found on Ola S1 series scooters, and this has been one of the prime concerns of the customers.
Much to the relief, Ola has promised that the missing features will make their way to the Ola S1 and the Ola S1 Pro via subsequent software updated by June 2022. That’s still a long wait from now.
5. Ola S1 Pro Severely Injures Rider, Reverses Without Warning
Another concerning incident of the Ola S1 Pro malfunctioning was reported last week. A 65-year old man’s Ola S1 Pro reportedly reversed itself without a warning while he was paxking it. The person crashed into a wall behind him, hit his head on it, and fractured his left arm.
The incident is reported to have happened in Jodhpur and was reported on LinkedIn by Pallav Maheshwari. The personl claims that his father has received severe injuries because of the Ola S1 Pro malfunction. He alleges that a software bug in the scooter has caused the problem.
Conclusion
Even though the Ola S1 family has had a bumpy ride so far, we hope that the brand fixes things soon and interested customers can get their products without any flaws, in time and safe to ride. It has been reported numerous times that the prime reason electric scooters catching fire is faulty batteries. This factor can certainly not be overlooked.
Further, Ola can try to allocate more resources to make sure that the Ola S1 lineup keeps receiving regular software updates. Electric vehicles are not just another mechanical automobile product and have an added layer of software, which needs its own maintenance and quality checks.
While we tried to list almost all the major reported Ola S1 and Ola S1 Pro complaints so far, there is a possibility that we might have missed out on some (though we sincerely hope that these are the only one-off incidents). If you have had any such issue with your Ola S1 series scooter you know, feel free to tell us in the comments section below.
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Tags: Electric scootersEVsOla S1Ola S1 Pro
FAQs
What is the problem in Ola S1 Pro? ›
The front suspension arm giving up on the move is 1 of the serious issues of S1 Pro and, sadly, it keeps recurring even to this date with no proper solutions from the company's side. Not even an official recall has been given for the affected lot.
Is Ola S1 PRO reliable? ›Sudden Range Drop: The biggest issue with Ola S1 Pro is the sudden battery drain that you might experience even while riding, which makes it pretty unreliable. What's more pathetic is that Ola Electric asks its customers to reboot the scooter weekly to avoid such situations.
Why did Ola S1 fail? ›The front suspension failures in the Ola S1 Pro are becoming increasingly common with 3rd case reported in a mere 45 days. Ola electric had a lot of buzz around it for the longest time. But ever since the deliveries began, there have been quite a few quality and software issues plaguing its image.
What is the life of Ola S1 Pro? ›Charging time
In contrast, the S1 and S1 Pro are equipped with a 2.97 kWh battery pack that provides a range of 141 km and 181 km respectively. As per Ola, the real-world range of the S1 Air is 76 km, for the S1, it is 128 km and the S1 Pro will run for 170 km before requiring a charge.
The Electric Scooter and the charger needed to reset to make it enable to work again. While the other customers have complained about the scooter's range. The customer says that “he tested the scooter four times and he successfully failed to cross 100 km on a single charge every single time”.
What went wrong with Ola scooter? ›OLA Electric Scooter Problems – Tweets By Owners
Recently, a lethal accident occurred on the Ola S1 Pro scooter, which raised the issue again to a high level. Scooter buyers made Tweets and shared the problems they are dealing with. One of the biggest problems faced was the sudden battery drainage.
The electric scooters did not live you to their hype
The e-scooters garnered a large amount of hype. More than 80,000 orders were received by the company within a month of their launch! But, deliveries were very slow, and many owners are facing big problems already.
In ideal conditions, the life of battery is a minimum 7 years.
Is it safe to buy Ola Electric scooter? ›The safety of the rider here is at risk with such a huge fire and the battery has to work with our heat/climate. There have been previous fire incidents too and it leads to questions regarding the battery of these scooters. The fire with the Ola scooter could be a short circuit or lithium-ion battery overheating.
What is the weakness of Ola? ›No Control over Drivers:
Drivers play an important role in making the brand name of Ola and hence any misbehaviour of the driver with the customers directly reduces the brand image in the market.
What are the disadvantages of Ola? ›
With very competitive rates of 6rs / km, it is sometimes difficult to make money if the travel is very short. You should maintain the driver rating so that your MBG (Minimum Business Rate) is not affected. This is a disadvantage as drivers book trips with their phones and Ola keeps an eye on everything.
Why are people leaving Ola Electric? ›Apart from delays in deliveries, instances of the company's electric scooter catching fire led to consumer disquiet. In April this year, Ola Electric recalled 1,441 units of its electric two-wheelers after a fire incident.
How many Ola Electric scooter caught fire? ›The recall
Ola Electric is recalling 1,441 scooters of a specific batch, one of which had burst in flames while parked on the roadside in a busy area in Pune last month.
Yes, you can. Your Ola scooter is water-resistant!
Can we return Ola S1 Pro? ›You can cancel your booking and get a full refund, till the time your Ola scooter is shipped from the Ola Futurefactory, the amount will be credited to your source account within 7-10 business days. Can I change the details of the person I want the scooter to be registered to?
Is Ola S1 successful? ›Ola S1 Pro among top 10 most sold scooters in India
The S1 Pro overtook the recently launched Suzuki Avenis which sold 8,922 units in May 2022.
Ola Electric has halted the production of its S1 scooter in India, noting that the manufacturing will restart in late 2022. As per the company, priority will be given to the S1 Pro model as most people have opted for it.
Why is Ola cabs failing? ›Cash Drain:
It burned hundreds of crores of rupees in order to acquire the stakeholders. Not merely this, they did the same to the customers and drivers. By giving heavy discounts which made the drives quite cheaper, they attracted customers to Ola. Similarly, they threw massive incentives to Ola drivers.
A brand new Ola S1 Pro electric scooter recently caught fire in Pune (Maharashtra). The video of this scary incident went viral on the internet.
How many Ola scooter Burns in India? ›Ola Electric announced that the company is recalling 1,441 electric scooters in the wake of repeated fire incidents. By India Today Web Desk: Ola Electric announced on Sunday that the company is recalling 1,441 units of its electric two-wheelers in the wake of incidents of e-bikes catching fire.
Why did Ola scooter catch fire? ›
Ola Electric said it is investigating the matter to get to the root cause and would share updates soon, while Okinawa blamed the incident on a short circuit due to negligence in charging. We are investigating the incident and will do a thorough assessment.
Is Ola bike failed? ›Yes, it does fail to impress its customers, it failed to set up a benchmark in the market, it failed to deliver what it promised, it failed in so many aspects but, none can deny the fact that Ola electric does bring the revolution in the Indian electric vehicle market.
Can Ola scooter be kept in rain? ›Ola's Hypercharger and Ola's Home Chargers are designed with an IP rating of IP55 and IP67 respectively; which means, come rain or snow, you can charge your scooter without any worries!
Can Ola battery be replaced? ›@ Gachchhu | No, the Ola scooter doesn't get removable battery packs.
Is Ola S1 safe? ›Batteries are IP67 certified
However, in an electric scooter like the Ola S1 Pro, the battery is IP67 certified, which means that it is sealed safely, with no chances of water penetration inside it.
A white and black combination can never go wrong, the Ola S1 looks a class apart in the Porcelain White finish.
Are EV bikes safe? ›Here's what some of the EV industry players in India think about the latest fire incidents: Maxson Lewis, MD and CEO, of Magenta, said, “Electric Vehicles are absolutely safe pieces of technology.
Does Ola scooter need insurance? ›Despite it being an electric scooter, you need to register it with an RTO as well as purchase a two wheeler insurance cover. This comes under the regulatory compliance associated with the Motor Vehicles Act of 1988, where all vehicles in the country must have at least a third-party insurance cover.
What are lists of weaknesses? ›- Self-criticism.
- Shyness.
- Lack of knowledge of particular software.
- Public speaking.
- Taking criticism.
- Lack of experience.
- Inability to delegate.
- Lack of confidence.
The company continued with its unfair pricing to customers and reduced incentives to drivers. As a result, both started to ditch Ola. Those drivers who did not ditch and kept going in spite of loss-making were in for more shocks. Soon, on the account of not being able to pay EMIs, banks started to seize vehicles.
Is Ola under loss? ›
But Ola said that the firm is one of the most profitable ride-hailing companies in the world with a strong balance sheet. The mobility company, backed by SoftBank, is repurposing some of its infrastructure and capabilities toward boosting the sales and service network of its electric vehicle arm Ola Electric.
What are car disadvantages? ›Air and noise pollution is one of them. Traffic jam is many cities are on the rise due to the excessive car ownership. Having a car means you need to spend extra money for garage, driver, fuel and maintenance.
Is Uber or Ola better? ›Ola and Uber are ride-hailing apps that provide on-demand lifts where a driver picks you up and drops you at a predetermined location. Uber is more prominent and available in more places, but Ola boasts better safety features, such as their start code given to the driver before the ride begins.
Is it safe to take Ola at night? ›Answer : None of the above. Reason : No matter how many times any of these cab services companies promise you safety, there always seem to be incidents. Secondly, the cabs and the drivers are more or less the same, they keep switching from Taxi For Sure to Ola to Uber depending on which has better rates and surcharge.
Why do Ola drivers keep Cancelling? ›Drivers' inclination towards cash payments
Many drivers cancel rides since they see the mode of payment on the app. The reason is they find it difficult to set aside enough money to meet their daily expenses.
These included historic breaches of the licensing regime that led to unlicensed drivers and vehicles undertaking more than 1,000 passenger trips on behalf of Ola, and failure to draw these breaches to TfL's attention immediately when they were first identified.
Who is Ola battery supplier? ›Currently, Ola Electric sources battery cells from South Korea-based LG Chem for its electric scooters. Battery cells are the most expensive component in an EV, and manufacturing these can cut costs by around 30%.
Has any ather caught fire? ›In fact, the scooter that caught fire had been involved in an accident and had a cracked battery pack. While it was water-washed before servicing, water had entered the cells of the battery pack, which then led to a short circuit. Ather Energy has acknowledged the incident and has put out a detailed statement.
Can I charge Ola S1 overnight? ›It requires no additional installation; customers can simply plug it into a regular wall socket overnight (the PR doesn't mention whether it is 5A or 15A, but we assume it is the former) for a complete charge.
Which electric scooter is Burns? ›This time a Pure EV Epluto 7G e-scooter can be seen burning in high flames near LB nagar in Hyderabad. No one got injured in this accident, says police officials.
Is Ola S1 PRO good for hilly areas? ›
Yes, you wouldn't face any issues. The Ola S1 and the S1 Pro share the same permanent magnet motor producing a peak power of 8.5kW and a peak torque of 58Nm (at the shaft). Considering the power and its compact dimensions, the scooter should fair well in the hills.
Which Colour is best for Ola S1 Pro? ›There could be a waiting period for a specific standard in demand color for Ola S1 Pro. Like Black, Silver, Army, Pink is the most common colors which buyers prefer. But various colors like Red, Green, Blue, Maroon, Yellow, Orange, Grey, violet, purple, white are preferred less.
How many people booked Ola S1 Pro? ›File photo of Ola S1 Pro. Image used for representational purpose. Bhavish Aggarwal, Co-founder and CEO of Ola Electric tweeted that the manufacturer has received bookings for more than 10,000 units of their newly launched Ola S1 scooter. Ola Electric currently has only two electric vehicles in its lineup.
Is Ola S1 Pro waterproof? ›Yes, Ola S1 features a waterproof display.
How long is waiting for Ola S1 Pro? ›But the 90-days waiting period was bothering me. To be frank, I had never considered OLA seriously till this point, but the thought of giving it a thought (LOL) came to my mind. I was suddenly reminded of the sense-of-happiness I had felt, back in April, when I had test ridden an Ola S1 Pro at my office premise.
Does Ola S1 Pro have metal body? ›The body parts of Ola Electric S1 are comprised of both plastic and metal parts.
Why Ola S1 Pro caught fire? ›In a bizarre incident, an Ola Electric S1 Pro owner in Tamil Nadu set his scooter on fire after reportedly being frustrated with the scooter's performance and inconsistent range.
How many Ola scooters are burnt? ›The recall
Ola Electric is recalling 1,441 scooters of a specific batch, one of which had burst in flames while parked on the roadside in a busy area in Pune last month.
In recent times, four such instances have been reported, which included the electric scooters from Pure EV, Okinawa, and Ola. CBL · Wait... What?!
Is Ola available at 5am? ›Yes. They are available 24*7. The time of arrival might vary as the availability is a little less than regular hours but 5am is a good enough time where you will not face any problem getting a cab.
Why Ola is shutting down? ›
Ola Shuts Down Used Cars And Quick Commerce Businesses; To Focus On EVs. Ola today announced that it has shut down the Ola Dash used car and quick commerce business. The company has decided to reorient its used vehicles business Ola cars, less than a year after it was launched.
How long does Ola S1 battery last? ›In ideal conditions, the life of battery is a minimum 7 years.
Why does Ola stop producing? ›Ola Electric suspends manufacturing | Autocar Professional. The company cites maintenance as the key reason, not inventory pile up.