Ola S1 Pro Pros And Cons Explained: Finally A Segment King?

Ola stepped into the electric scooters segment and people were hesitant to make room for the electric version of something they loved dearly (and abused with whatever task they had, without the scooter breaking a sweat!). But soon, as it picked up pace, a new segment was carved out with a big chunk of new buyers going for the Ola scooters with the S1 Pro getting all the bells and whistles the brand had to offer. But is it finally worth replacing our fossil-powered popular scooters? Let's find out in this section of Pros and Cons, but before that, make sure to join our 91Wheels Whatsapp Channel, specifically curated for all the avid petrolheads with extensive coverage of the latest news and insights from the automotive space.

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PROS

1. Contemporary Styling

The Ola S1 Pro is one of the most stylish E-scooters out there that offers smooth body panels along with elegant front and rear styling without any striking elements. It strikes a perfect balance of modernity and exudes an elegant aura that sits well with both young as well-seasoned buyers alike. On top of this, you get a range of color options to choose from, that add the icing on the cake.

2. A Feature List To Flaunt

The Ola S1 Pro boasts an impressive array of features, including multiple riding modes and customizable themes. It comes equipped with accurate navigation, allowing users to type in locations directly on the screen, cruise control, smartphone connectivity, Ola Electric app, Hill-hold assist, reverse assist, proximity unlock, rider profiles, advanced regen, auto-tun-off indicators, and much more.

3. Good Performance, Better Range

To enhance its market position, the Ola S1 Pro now features a revised electric motor setup, delivering 5kW of continuous power and 11kW at peak, compared to the previous models 5.5kW continuous and 8.5kW peak outputs. This upgrade boosts the top speed to a claimed 120 kmph. Additionally, due to its shared platform with the S1 X and S1 Air, the S1 Pro achieves a faster 0-40 kmph acceleration, reaching this speed in just 2.6 seconds. Also, it claims a range of 195 km on a single charge, which is commendable.

CONS

1. Quality And Reliability Issues

Time and again, there have been persistent issues with the quality of the Ola S1 Pro with multiple users reporting multiple issues on a regular basis. On top of this, the app sometimes acts weird and takes a few attempts to perform its task. Although it works, it isn't as smooth as I would have liked. However, I also agree that a lot of improvements have been made, but there is still room for more.

2. High Charging Time

If you are charging it at home with the regular charger, the Ola S1 Pro takes 6.5 hours to fully charge, which is a bit on the higher side, if you want a quick juice-up for an on-the-go charge. While it also offers more range and a bigger battery takes its time to charge, this could have been managed with a shorter time. It is 2024 and overnight charging for electric vehicles is something that shouldn't be the norm if we want to make mass adoption relevant.

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3. Steep Pricing

This scooter costs Rs. 1.34 lakhs ex-showroom, which is expensive considering everything that it offers. Even though the scooter is rich in tech and offers a decent range, the price points that these scooters are coming at, actually don't have any significant impact on the overall savings that customers expect as you end up paying more upfront. Moreover, more reasonable pricing with a longer range is the way to more and more people switching from conventional scooters to this one.