Ola, fresh from the successful launch of its electric scooters, is planning to have its first electric car by 2023. The company, which started out as a ride-sharing app, aspires to become a dominant player in the EV market in India and neighbouring countries.
When a Twitter user asked Ola CEO Bhavish Agarwal if he drove a petrol or diesel or an electric car, he said he had not owned any vehicles until recently, as would perhaps befit the head of a company that runs the nation’s largest ride-sharing app.
“Never owned a car till 2 months ago. Now a hybrid. Next one will be electric in 2023. Ola’s electric car,” Agarwal said.
Never owned a car till 2 months ago. Now a hybrid. Next one will be electric in 2023. Ola’s electric car 😉
— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) August 16, 2021
Details about the company’s foray into manufacturing four-wheel electric vehicles remain sparse. Early reports indicated that beleaguered American automobile manufacturer Ford was looking to produce vehicles for Ola on a contract basis in its Maraimalai Nagar and Sanand factories.
Agarwal has been at the forefront of the EV revolution in India, throwing in his own two cents on the issue of EV import duties. Agarwal had stated that the high import duties encouraged local development and urged foreign manufacturers to invest into local production for EVs instead.
Ola’s S series electric scooters were launched on August 15, in two variants -- the Ola S1 Scooter and the Ola S1 Pro scooter. Ola S1 is priced at Rs 99,999 and the Ola S1 Pro is priced at Rs 1, 29,999, though various states offer various subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles as part of the government policy to encourage the adoption of EVs in India.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)
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