Ola S1 Air

Overview

The reduction in the FAME II subsidy has had a significant impact on electric vehicle (EV) buyers, prompting various EV manufacturers to to introduce more affordable versions of their products.. In response, Ola has introduced the all-new S1 Air. While it looks a lot like the Ola S1 Pro, it is a completely different scooter underneath, incorporating quite a few  changes to make it more affordable. What precisely are these differences, and how do they influence the scooter's performance on the road?

Design

Design-wise, the Ola S1 Air looks similar to the S1 Pro. The clean design layout and the swooping line that connects the handlebar to the seat give the e-scooter a retro vibe. The twin-LED headlamp with the large LED DRL border complements the overall design very well. The signature Ola look is still a head turner everywhere it goes.   

Motor, Battery, Range & Performance

The hub motor is the most significant change on the S1 Air. While the S1 Pro has a mid-drive motor and a belt drive, the S1 Air relies on a simpler, and less powerful hub motor. It offers three riding modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport. Notably, it lacks the Hyper mode found on the Pro, but this isn’t a concern while riding since the Sport Mode delivers lively performance, suitable for most scenarios. Normal mode also performs well and is ideal for urban commuting. On the other hand, Eco mode, much like on the S1 Pro, feels really sluggish. However, it might be useful if you are trying to extract the maximum range out of the scooter.

One notable drawback with the S1 Air is its throttle calibration. The throttle, especially in Sport mode, felt jerky. Additionally, even when set to the medium regen braking setting, the regenerative braking feels overly aggressive. Furthermore, the sensitivity of the negative throttle for engaging regen braking seems a bit too high. Consequently, it's easy to unintentionally activate strong regen braking when you simply try to reduce the throttle input. Furthermore, as soon as either brake is applied, the motor cuts abruptly, which can pose challenges when manoeuvring in congested traffic.

However, the throttle exhibits a more critical issue; it continues to accelerate for approximately half a second after releasing it. This behaviour can be irritating and, in certain circumstances, potentially dangerous. While Ola mentioned that the models we tested were pre-production units with ongoing refinements,such  a massive safety concern should not have been overlooked in the first place.

To cut costs, Ola has equipped the S1 Air with a smaller 3kWh battery pack and the lighter and smaller battery pack leads to a flat floorboard. It's worth noting that the floorboard isn't exceptionally spacious, but it offers ample room for conveniently carrying a backpack. This flat floorboard design is particularly practical because the underseat storage capacity on the S1 Air has decreased by two litres. Nonetheless, at 34 litres, the remaining storage space is still ample.

Naturally, a smaller battery pack translates to a reduced range, with Ola claiming an IDC range of 125 kilometres for the S1 Air, compared to the 181 kilometres of the S1 Pro. In our real-world testing of the S1 Pro, we found that this figure is somewhat optimistic. In actual usage, you can expect the S1 Air to deliver closer to 100 kilometres, which is perfectly acceptable.

Handling & Ride Quality

One of the most prominent changes on the S1 Air is evident at the front. In place of the single-sided front suspension arm featured on the S1 Pro, the S1 Air comes equipped with a conventional telescopic fork. Additionally, it rides on 12-inch pressed steel wheels, and gets drum brakes at both ends instead of disc brakes. But it does feature CBS (Combined Braking System) for enhanced safety.

The drum brakes on the S1 Air perform reasonably well in typical situations. However, as with all drum brakes, aggressive braking can lead to noticeable fade. While this might have been acceptable if the S1 Air still maintained its original promised price tag of Rs 80,000, its current ex-showroom price of Rs 1,19,999 leaves us expecting at least a front disc brake.

At the rear, there are more changes. The angled monoshock has been replaced by a more traditional twin shock absorbers setup, and the S1 Pro's single-sided cast aluminium swingarm has been replaced with a box-section steel swingarm.

Also, the primary advantage of the smaller battery pack and the redesigned chassis is the lighter kerb weight, which is a substantial 13 kilograms less than the S1 Pro. This reduction in weight significantly enhances the S1 Air's agility when taking turns. While we haven't conducted an exhaustive test, we anticipate that the S1 Air will effortlessly manoeuvre through city traffic, making it a convenient choice for urban commuting.

Comfort

Riding on the exceptionally smooth roads around the Ola Future Factory, our ability to evaluate the ride quality of the S1 Air with its updated suspension setup was limited. However, we did notice that the front suspension felt more reactive on sharp speed breakers, while the rear felt a little soft. The true impact of these suspension characteristics on the scooter's performance over rough terrain, including bumps and potholes in real-world conditions, will only become clear when we conduct a thorough road test of the S1 Air.

Features

The most notable aspect of the S1 Air is its nearly identical feature set when compared to the S1 Pro. While the Air's 7-inch touchscreen console does operate at a slightly lower resolution than that of the Pro, this difference is hardly noticeable in day-to-day use. In terms of features, the S1 Air is fully equipped, offering a comprehensive list of features, including map-based navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, proximity unlock, music playback and control, built-in speakers, Party Mode, user profiles, riding modes, document storage, remote boot unlock, reverse mode, and the convenience of OTA (Over-The-Air) updates.

Should you buy Ola S1 Air?

Priced at Rs 1,19,999 (ex-showroom), the S1 Air offers a compelling value proposition, coming in at approximately Rs 20,000 less than the Pro variant. However, there are notable concerns that Ola needs to address before we can confidently recommend it. First and foremost is the throttle behaviour, which can be dangerous at times. Secondly, there seems to be some inconsistency in overall build quality; panel gaps are not consistent and upon close inspection, the paint quality also seems a bit off.

It's important to note that Ola indicated that we were testing pre-production scooters, even though we had the opportunity to observe the S1 Air in full production at their Future Factory. Hopefully those production S1 Airs are free of all the issues we faced on our test scooters

So, should you rush to purchase an S1 Air right now? We recommend that you wait to see if Ola can iron out these issues. Once those concerns are addressed, the S1 Air is likely to be a good option for those looking for a good, feature packed electric scooter for their daily commutes.