Connect with us

Published

on

Ola Electric teased its upcoming electric scooter for months, and it finally delivered over the weekend with the big unveil. The Ola S1 and S1 Pro models were just announced, showing off high-tech features, best-in-class performance, and shockingly low prices.

Produced locally in Ola’s giant electric scooter megafactory with a planned capacity of 10 million vehicles per year, the S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters are rolling out with an eye on both domestic Indian sales and international exports.

Today the scooters look like leaders in the local market, but tomorrow could see shockwaves reverberate globally.

That’s because the two models offer better performance than any other comparably-sized electric scooters.

An 8.5 kW electric motor mounted within the scooter’s frame provides the S1 with a top speed of 90 km/h (56 mph) and an even faster top speed in the S1 Pro of 115 km/h (71 mph).

An innovated banana-shaped battery pack under the rider’s feet offers 3 kWh of capacity and 121 km (75 miles) of range. In the high spec S1 Pro, those figures increase to 4 kWh and 181 km (112 mi) of range.

Dual single-supported wheels add to the attractive styling

The battery is not removable, but can be quick charged most of the way in around 30 minutes. An 18 minute charge on an Ola quick charger will provide 75 km (46 miles) of range.

Most riders will likely charge overnight though, where home charging with a 750W portable charger will take around 4.5 hours on the S1 and 6.5 hours on the S1 Pro.

The under-foot mounting of the battery lower’s the scooters center of gravity and maximizes the storage space under the seat.

Ola claims that riders can fit two helmets in the 36L storage compartment. Most scooters require bolting on a large rear trunk to get anywhere near that kind of storage space.

The high performance of the scooters might not even be their biggest selling points. Instead, the technology-packed OS is what truly sets these scooters apart from pretty much anything else currently on the market.

The 121 kg (267 lb) scooters come with a large 7″ color touch screen that displays GPS-based map navigation in addition to typical performance readouts on user-selectable skins.

Just like your cell phone, the scooter also packs a digital voice assistant. Saying to the scooter “Hey Ola, play some music.” will pull up your playlist and get the tunes cranking out of the scooter’s built-in speaker system.

Riders can even take calls via the scooter’s OS by connecting their phones.

Speaking of phones, the scooter’s app provides a high level of control. Riders can pop the trunk, adjust lighting, set geo-fencing boundaries, modify electronic sound profiles (or remove them entirely), create rider profiles and more.

Profiles can be installed on the scooter for friends and family members so that the scooter remembers each riders’ performance customizations and user interface modifications.

Proximity sensors mean that the scooter can unlock for the rider as he or she approaches, no key needed. Walking away from the scooter automatically locks it.

Compared to other leading electric scooters, Ola’s models don’t just offer better performance and fancier features – they’re also much more affordable. Pricing starts at Rs 99,999 (approximately US $1,350). Some Indian states have local incentives that drop the price down to as low as Rs 79,999 (approximately US $1,050).

The scooters will be available in 10 different colors, with reservations opening on September 8th ahead of expected delivery in October.

Electrek’s Take

It is hard to overstate how big of a deal this is, not just for India but also for the world.

India represents one of the largest two-wheeler markets anywhere, but the vast majority are gas-powered. Many Indian startups have presented interesting electric solutions, but the higher prices have prevented larger scale adoption. Now Ola’s scooters can match both the performance and the price of many gas-powered motorbikes in India.

But it isn’t just about India anymore. While most electric scooter manufacturers in India haven’t even begun to talk about exports, Ola has made international exports a key part of the company’s plan from the start. With an initial production rate of 2 million vehicles per year at the company’s megafactory, followed by a planned 10 million/year capacity, Ola is fully expecting to export its electric scooters to the international market.

Prices will no doubt be higher outside of India, but when you start with a base of $1,350, there’s plenty of room to go. For comparison, I love my NIU NGT Pro electric scooter and it is my daily driver, but it costs around $4,600 in the US and scores below the Ola S1 in just about every category.

So if Ola can begin exporting an attractive, fast and high-tech electric scooter that costs less but does more than the current market leaders, then we very well may be looking at a paradigm shift in the electric scooter industry towards a whole new type of vehicle.

I’m not normally so bullish about a new launch, but damn.


Subscribe to Electrek on YouTube for exclusive videos and subscribe to the podcast.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Rapper Ghetts charged after man killed in hit-and-run

Published

on

By

Rapper Ghetts charged after man killed in hit-and-run

The rapper Ghetts has been charged after a man was killed in a hit-and-run in northeast London.

The musician, whose real name is Justin Clarke-Samuel, was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He allegedly failed to stop after hitting a 20-year-old man in Ilford last Saturday, the Met Police said.

The 41-year-old appeared at Stratford Magistrates’ Court on Monday – the same day the man died in hospital.

The indictment is expected to change from causing serious injury to causing death by dangerous driving at the next hearing.

Ghetts was remanded into custody and is due to appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court on 27 October.

The police are appealing for witnesses to the crash to come forward.

Read more from Sky News:
Two charged in connection with arson attack on mosque
Furious Trump cancels ‘all trade negotiations’ with Canada

Ghetts is a grime rapper who played at Glastonbury last year and has collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and Skepta.

He also had a role in the Netflix drama Supacell.

Last year, he received the Mobo Pioneer Award for his significant contribution to British black culture.

Continue Reading

Entertainment

‘People want you to stay in your lane’: Reese Witherspoon on her ‘deeply personal’ decision to write a novel

Published

on

By

'People want you to stay in your lane': Reese Witherspoon on her 'deeply personal' decision to write a novel

It is “pretty surreal”, Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon admits, finding herself at the top of The New York Times bestsellers list.

When I meet the actress alongside her co-writer, best-selling author Harlan Coben, overnight the pair have learned that their thriller is now at number one.

He jokes: “I was texting her last night and saying you’ll now have to call yourself number one bestselling novelist, forget about Oscar winner!”

Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben told Katie Spencer about their novel Gone Before Goodbye
Image:
Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben told Katie Spencer about their novel Gone Before Goodbye

As one of the most successful authors in the world, Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground.

Not content with running a hugely successful production company responsible for a string of hits, as well as one of the most successful book clubs in the world, she explains she felt compelled to give writing a try.

“People want you to stay in your lane… as a creative person I think it’s impossible to just choose one kind of life.

“Creativity is infinite and who I was as a creative person when I was 20 is very different from the person I am now at 49.”

More on Reese Witherspoon

Gone Before Goodbye, a thriller about a talented surgeon who finds herself caught up in a deadly conspiracy, is the result of Witherspoon daring to put her head above the parapet.

Witherspoon says she felt compelled to give writing a try
Image:
Witherspoon says she felt compelled to give writing a try

Coben admits he was “a little wary” at first.

“I don’t co-write novels but when she made the pitch and started talking about it, I was like ‘dang that’s good, we can do something with that’.”

While countless celebrities work with ghostwriters, Coben says: “I said to her from day one ‘it’s only going to be you and me in here… no third person in here, I don’t do that’. So every word you [read] comes from Reese and me.”

Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground
Image:
Coben has sold over 80 million books to date, while for Witherspoon this is new ground

Witherspoon explains: “He was like ‘if we’re going to do this, it’s going to have to be at a really high level because people going to expect a lot, so our bar was really high.”

“I said to her, in the beginning, novels are like a sausage,” Coben laughs. “You might like the final taste, but you don’t want to see how it was made and Reese got to see the full sausage getting made here.”

Read more from Sky News:
Bob Vylan’s gig postponed
Tainted Love star dies
Strictly stars to quit

When it came to writing, Coben says they “fell into a rhythm right away”, working together in three-hour stints, “back and forth with a yellow legal pad – what about this? What about that?”

Coben says they 'fell into a rhythm right away'
Image:
Coben says they ‘fell into a rhythm right away’

Witherspoon says it “feels really deeply personal” to have their work now in print.

“Usually, as an actor, I walk into other people’s worlds and it’s already set up… but this was creating the whole world with Harlan and just from beginning to end feels very personal.”

While the story seems an obvious fit for being adapted to the screen, perhaps with a certain blonde actress in the leading role, Coben says that was never their intention.

“The biggest, biggest mistake novelists make when you write a book is to say ‘this would make a really great movie’. A book is a book, a movie is a movie, and we both focused on wanting this to be just a great reading experience.”

Given that their collaboration is already selling in big numbers, will the pair team up again to write a second?

Witherspoon says: “Let’s just see what people think of this one first.”

Continue Reading

Entertainment

Kim Kardashian diagnosed with brain aneurysm

Published

on

By

Kim Kardashian diagnosed with brain aneurysm

Kim Kardashian has revealed that she has been diagnosed with a brain aneurysm.

  • Footage from the latest season of The Kardashians shows the reality TV star going for an imaging scan.

The 45-year-old appears to suggest her small aneurysm may have stemmed from stress.

Brain aneurysms are relatively common, with data suggesting they affect about one in every 50 people.

In many cases, patients may be unaware that they have one – as they tend to cause few symptoms when unruptured.

Brain aneurysms are common but often go undiagnosed. iStock file pic
Image:
Brain aneurysms are common but often go undiagnosed. iStock file pic

Should an unruptured aneurysm grow to a larger size, it can cause headaches, balance problems and speech issues.

Those that burst are extremely dangerous and can prove fatal in some circumstances.

While aneurysms can emerge throughout the body, they are most typically found in the aorta, which carries blood out of the heart.

More on Kim Kardashian

Research suggests brain aneurysms are most common in adults between the ages of 30 and 60 – with women disproportionately affected.

Read more entertainment news:
Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman to leave Strictly

Bob Vylan’s Manchester gig is postponed

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

May: Eight found guilty over Kim Kardashian Paris heist

Associate professor of neurology Dr Laura Stein told Sky’s US partner NBC News: ” The most well-described risk factors include a predisposition [family history of aneurysm], high blood pressure, cigarette smoking and inflammation.”

She went on to explain that most fatal ruptured aneurysms are in the brain, killing about one in three patients.

“When it’s a blood vessel that’s in the head and it bleeds, there’s a much higher risk of having a very bad problem just because the brain is enclosed in a fixed space,” Dr Stein added.

Low-risk aneurysms are monitored by doctors for growth or abnormalities, and there are a series of potential treatment options for those considered dangerous.

Elsewhere in The Kardashians clip, Kim admitted that her ex-husband Kanye West will be in her life “no matter what” because of the four kids they share together.

Continue Reading

Trending