The Ola S1 Air promised to be a game-changer for the EV market, and one early adopter was more than eager to put it to the test. Having booked the scooter in July and paying the full price upfront, this buyer anticipated an upgrade from their 15-year-old Mahindra Flyte. With a price tag of just under ₹1.38 lakhs (on-road in Trivandrum) — including full insurance, extended warranty, and Ola Care+ — it seemed like a steal compared to competitors priced over ₹1.5 lakhs.
First Impressions: An Upgrade with Quirks
After a long wait and a disappointing delivery experience, the new owner finally took possession of the S1 Air on September 27th. The initial experience was promising. The scooter was smooth, with excellent ride quality and performance across different modes. The switch from a 15-year-old ride to a modern EV felt like a huge upgrade — albeit one with a few minor setbacks. The touch screen was sometimes sluggish, and the switchgear felt subpar, but these were easily overlooked at first.
Performance vs. Expectations
However, the honeymoon period didn’t last long. Despite the scooter indicating over 100 km of range in Normal mode after a full charge, the range rapidly dropped. Worse yet, the battery continued to drain while parked — an unexpected and frustrating discovery for the owner, who often returned to find the battery depleted by 3-5% after being left idle.
The touch screen, while a nice feature, occasionally stopped responding, requiring a reboot to fix. On rare occasions, the scooter got stuck in a reboot loop, displaying the Ola logo on and off until technical assistance was provided. Issues with the horn and switchgear further dampened the experience, though these problems were swiftly resolved by the service team.
Charging Mysteries and Mid-Traffic Failures
One concerning incident occurred when the owner attempted to use the scooter with 25% charge remaining for a short 3 km commute. While the scooter made it to the destination, it refused to start for the return trip after hours of sitting idle, with the battery showing a significant drop in charge. To add to the frustration, charging the scooter overnight only brought it to 74%, far below its capacity. This issue inexplicably disappeared after a few cycles, but the inconsistencies left the owner on edge.
Perhaps the most alarming event came a couple of weeks later when the scooter, with 30% charge remaining, lost power mid-ride, in the middle of traffic. With no warning, the screen showed "0% charge remaining, switching to park mode." A reboot miraculously restored the battery to 23%, but by then, the owner had already lost confidence in the scooter’s reliability.
A Glimpse into Ola’s Service Nightmare
The real ordeal began when the scooter suddenly refused to start with 50% charge remaining. Multiple calls to Ola's customer service went unanswered for days, and despite having Ola Care+ with RSA, assistance was slow to arrive. It took three days of relentless follow-ups to get a technician to diagnose the issue, which turned out to be a faulty battery. Even after this diagnosis, it took several more days of persistent calls to have the scooter towed to the service center.
As of the latest update, the scooter sits at the service center, awaiting a battery replacement, with no clear timeline in sight. The owner has been informed that at least 11 other S1 Air scooters are facing similar issues, and the lack of communication from the service team has only added to their frustration.
Final Thoughts: A Cautionary Tale
Despite the initial excitement and the scooter's potential, this Ola S1 Air owner’s journey has been a frustrating one. Battery inconsistencies, software glitches, and unreliable service have marred what could have been a smooth transition to electric mobility. The owner now warns others to reconsider purchasing the S1 Air in its current form, recommending more reliable options like the Ather, Chetak, or TVS iQube instead.
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