Ola witnessed, what can probably be called, one of the biggest responses from the Indian market when it opened the booking for the S1 electric scooter in India. And after waiting up until recently when we got our hands on the scooter in Bangalore, we thought a spec comparison for the same with the segment leader the Ather 450X was obviously called for.
Ola S1 Design
In terms of looks, the Ola S1 is primarily based on the Eterra Appscooter, a dutch company that Ola took over a while ago. The only differences are the ola badge at the front and the S1 pro badge at the back.
The design, to be simply said, is simplistic. There are a few creases running all over the scooter with an over curvy design. It gets LED headlamps as well taillights. The scooter sits on rather good looking 12-inch alloy wheels and it is suspended with the help of a vertically placed monoshock at the front and a horizontally one placed at the back.
It should be noted that during the review, the units that were handed to us were pre-production ones. Hence, Ola promised that the panel gaps along with other tiny knicks will be corrected as the scooter starts being delivered to the customers.
Ather 450X Design
To say the least, Ather’s paint scheme surely stand out and how. While the existing palette is nothing to complain about, juxtaposing it with Ola makes it a little underprepared. Considering that modifications on an Ather 450X electric scooter have been gaining popularity on the internet, it would be a feather in the cap if the company came with more colour options. It’s also worth mentioning the quality of its parts as well as the e-scooter’s fit and finish both feel premium.
Ola S1 Features
Now electric is the technology of the future and in accordance with that, the S1 comes with an exhaustive set of features. Starting with the riding modes, the S1 gets a normal and sport mode while the S1 pro gets an additional hyper mode.
The list of features might take a whole other video but a few of the ones that are worthy of mention include a keyless operation where the scooter operates with an app that you can download on your phone. The scooter then senses the proximity and unlocks itself as you come near it.
The S1 can also accommodate multiple driver’s profiles with different setups. Ola says that they will also add additional features such as geo-fencing and parental controls in future OTA updates.
The aim as per Ola was to reduce the friction in the day to day use of the scooter. Apart from the era-appropriate essentials like connectivity and GPS features the instrument cluster can also operate basic functions like boot open and close which we thought was quite clever.
Ather 450X Features
Swing a leg on the saddle and the first thing you notice is the new touchscreen instrument panel that packs in more features. The Android-based system (plain Linux in the 450) includes Bluetooth/ Wi-Fi connectivity. The rider can pair their phone to get incoming call alerts or listen to music on the go via the Ather app. Through the screen the rider can simply change music tracks or answer calls. As an Alternative, the Ather 450X also has toggle switches that can be used to carry out the same function.
Going by its previous scooter, the 450X has shown commendable improvements. The touch responsiveness has also improved considerably, making it easier to operate, even with a gloved hand. Apart from the crucial connectivity features, the scooter also gets a few extra points for things like a ‘Dark Mode’ option. For these functions to work properly, you need internet which is provided with the help of a new 4G eSIM (Jio) which makes loading navigation maps and installing Over The Air (OTA) updates a lot quicker.
Ola S1 Performance and Riding
Now if we are talking about the performance let’s start with the battery. Now the S1 gets a 2.97 kWh battery while the S1 pro gets a 3.98kWh battery.
Now since we are talking about the battery, it should also be said that except for the cells inside the battery, the Ola S1 is a completely localised product. Now, as we mentioned before the S1 pro gets an additional Hyper mode. With this, the scooter can reach up to a top speed of 115kmph which otherwise is topped at 85kmph in Sports mode in the standard S1.
In the time we spent with the scooter, the Hyper mode on the S1 impressed us with its maniac torque that for a second made me forget about its ICE counterparts.
Now the software on the instrument cluster was informed to be the beta version and Ola said that a few glitches and bugs will be fixed in the production version. The scooter also gets dual speakers behind the apron. In the future, the company said that the speakers will be used for multimedia purposes as well, which we felt was a nice touch.
The vertically placed monoshock at the front and the vertically placed unit at the rear does a commendable job in absorbing most of the potholes but the sharper ones did communicate with my back. The handlebar of the scooter is quite tall and makes up for a comfortable riding position. Combine this with the low centre of gravity due to its floor-mounted battery and the 125kg kerb weight will be unnoticeable in city traffic.
Ather 450x Performance and Riding
As against its predecessors, the 450X gets a new lithium-ion battery with a re-tuned motor. The scooter gets a new battery with a capacity of 2.9kWh. This bigger battery translates into a range of 75-80km on a single charge in Eco Mode. While we didn’t get a chance to test out the charging time during our review, Ather claims that the scooter can completely be charged in about 5 hours and 45 minutes. The motor, on the other hand, develops a peak output of 6kW(up from 5.4kW). More importantly, the peak torque has gone up from 20.5Nm to 26Nm.
The Ather 450X gets three riding modes on offer: X-Eco, Ride and Sport, with each one providing more power than the previous one. But the icing on this performance cake is the ‘Warp’ mode that turns everything up to 11.
Cycle parts along with the steel-aluminium hybrid chassis is a hand-down from the 450. The 45X’s telescopic suspension are more on the stiffer side and will make you feel any sharp potholes. The scooter was also notably more clickable.
The rear gets the same monoshock as its predecessor. However, we did notice the lack of damping at slow speeds over a series of undulations. The handling, to say the least, is pretty confidence-inspiring.
Ola S1 Range and Charing
With the 2.97kWh battery, the S1 returns an acclaimed 121km on a single charge which goes up to 181km on the S1 Pro with a bigger battery. In the little time that we had with the scooter, testing the range could not be done. However, we are waiting to get our hands on for a brief period of time to tell you more about what the scooter is all about.
Ather 450X Range and Charging
The Ather 450X comes with a home charger, Ather Grid public charging infrastructure, and a portable charger. Ather 450X comes with a complimentary home charger, Ather Dot. Ather Grid, on the other hand, allows fast charging and it can recharge the battery pack by upto 80 per cent at one kilometre per minute. The portable charger can be used to recharge the battery through a 5A socket.
Verdict
Now, we are only glad about the fact that the battlefield of electric vehicles is only getting crowded by the day. It is to be noted that the Athers and Olas are not just burdened with the challenges that every new product faces but to also induce a shift in attitude of the consumers. If I have to sum up my experience with what are potentially going to be the most popular electric two-wheelers in India, it is quite safe to say that the Ather 450X with its shortcomings on paper is still a viable option for the young in spite of being at a premium over the Ola S1. The 450X packs enough firepower to put up a tough competition against the Ola S1. The Ola S1, on the other hand, comes as an extremely thought product. Automakers often find it a difficult task to bridge the gap between a product in theory and the product that reaches the customer’s home, while we cannot put a finger on how that is going to be like, the Ola S1, in its pre-production form is something to be excited about.
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