Ola S1 Air: First Ride Review

Gallery Introduction The Visuals The Package The Ride Conclusion

Introduction

Ola Electric has been knocking its rivals out of the park in terms of sales numbers over the last few months, thus leading by a huge margin. Despite that, the company doesn’t seem to slow down anytime soon and intends to keep making its portfolio more attractive. A clear sign of that is the new S1 Air.

This is Ola Electric’s most affordable product yet and is based on the brand's Gen 2 platform. It aims to target people who want to own an e-scooter as stylish and technologically advanced as the S1 Pro but find it way too expensive. However, does a cheaper price tag also bring along a lot of compromises? Or, is it just as strong a contender as the higher-spec Ola S1 Pro? We try to answer that by spending some time with the S1 Air.

The Visuals

The S1 Air looks nearly identical to the S1 Pro and retains the same elegant bodywork. The clean and flowing design lines make it quite easy and pleasant to the eyes. However, as against the S1 Pro’s monotone body panels, the S1 Air gets black colour for the lower half of its side panels. It also gets a simpler and flatter seat along with a larger grab-rail. The design of the S1 Air is also more practical as it gets a flat footboard, which is a part of the Gen 2 platform, unlike the S1 Pro’s protruding centre spine. As of now, the S1 Air is available in six colour options.

Although it’s impressive visually, our test unit had some uneven panel gaps around the footboard. We could also hear some squeaking plastic panel sound while pushing the scooter around for clicking pictures. Moreover, some minor mechanical quality issues also cropped up in the form of a loose and rattling front brake mechanism and a clicking sensation from the rear every time I rolled off the accelerator. Well, Ola affirmed that our test scooters were pre-production units and that these issues will be ironed out in the final production model.

The Package

The S1 Air might come across as a scaled-down version of the existing S1 Pro. However, since it’s based on the brand’s Gen 2 platform, there are multiple revisions to its hardware over the Pro trim. For instance, it gets a tweaked chassis for better strength and rigidity, redesigned battery packaging for improved thermal runaway, an altered powertrain for better motor efficiency, a new suspension setup, and redesigned electric and electronic system, amongst other subtle changes.

The S1 Air runs on a hub-mounted motor with a peak power output of 4.5kW and 150Nm of torque. This motor is propelled by a 2.98kWh battery pack which is claimed to charge fully in five hours via a conventional charger. This entire setup concertedly delivers a top speed of 90kmph and a claimed ideal driving condition range of 125km when ridden in Eco mode.

Meanwhile, the cycle parts of the S1 Air are more conventional than the S1 Pro. The former rides on 12-inch steel wheels that are suspended by telescopic forks up front and dual springs at the rear. Unlike the S1 Pro which gets a disc brake at both ends, the S1 Air relies on drums for stopping power.

It's good to see that Ola has retained the large touchscreen display on the S1 Air which is the same console as the S1 Pro. The rider gets access to a wide range of connectivity features. There is a keyless startup system with a digital key, navigation, multiple regenerative braking levels, the option to listen to music on the go, and different mood options which allow you to opt for one of the three faux exhaust sounds.

Now, Ola also offers some app-based features in which you can unlock the scooter from a distance. Moreover, the owner can share the app-based unlocking access to the scooter with their friends and family. However, owing to the lack of time with the S1 Air, we couldn't test these app-oriented features. It also gets a reverse mode and hill hold control for added convenience, but the latter wasn't enabled on our test unit.

Not to forget, a large 34-litre under-seat storage space is also available that can accommodate two half-face helmets, although we couldn’t fit in a full-blown, L-sized, full-face helmet.

The Ride

Given our short stint with the S1 Air, there was no way to test the range of the scooter. However, the 90kmph top speed came in easily in the fastest Sport mode. Eco and Normal modes, meanwhile, deliver slightly lower top speed and less sprightly acceleration. I rode the scooter in Sport for the most part which felt much quicker than the other two modes, especially beyond 30kmph. While the acceleration felt slightly jerky in this mode, it wasn't too much of a bother in the Eco setting.

However, what bothered me was the braking performance. The front lacked bite and lever feel to the extent that I stopped trying to use it after a point. The rear, meanwhile, delivered a better bite with the right amount of progression. And thanks to the presence of a combined braking system, the scooter came to a halt without much drama.

As for handling, the S1 Air felt quite nimble and quick to change directions. In the real world, it should be decently fun to zip through traffic. We couldn't thoroughly test the ride quality as our test course was limited to a small section of nicely laid tarmac. However, the suspension felt absorbent while going over big speed bumps and tiny stud reflectors.

Talking about seating comfort, the S1 Air offers a very neutral riding position which felt natural and comfy during our stint with the scooter. It didn’t feel too compact and, despite my 5’11’’ stature, the handlebar didn’t foul with my knees while taking tight U-turns.

Conclusion

On the face of it, the Ola S1 Air has a lot of good things going about it which make it an enticing package. It boasts an eye-catchy design, an abundance of contemporary and convenience-oriented features, impressive top speed, promising battery range, and usable storage space. All of this sounds quite attractive when you factor in the Rs. 1.10 lakh (ex-showroom) price tag.

During our brief time with the scooter, the acceleration, handling, seating comfort, and overall extravaganza of features impressed us. However, some niggles like uneven panel gaps around the footboard, a highly ineffective front brake, and a clicking sensation on deceleration, among others, acted as little flies in the ointment. We are hoping these rough edges will be polished out in the final production model. Hence, before we can recommend you consider the S1 Air, a proper road test of the production model is crucial.

Photography by Kaustubh Gandhi