Ather Must Worry About Ola | Ather vs Ola After Price Drop
H. Karan Kumar
Updated on Sept 19, 2023 | 6 min read
Ola’s rapid expansion has made the whole market one-sided, although they’ve done an incredible job in the past few months. But monopolising an industry has never given any positive outcome; moreover, it always harms the market. Today, Ola holds over 55% of all the E-Scooter sales in India. Amid all the negative customer feedback and many problems faced by users, the market share of Ola Electric is rising every month.
This is an alarming situation for fellow players in the EV market. Unless companies like Ather Energy, Bajaj Auto., TVS Motors, & Hero Motocorps., etc. act rapidly, they will lose a big chunk of the market.
Now, let’s see how the Ather is compared to Ola Electric after the massive price drop from Ola Electric.
Ather vs Ola Electric After Price Drop:
Price of Ather 450X (The top model of Ather Energy):
Ather 450X – ₹ 1,44,923/-
Price of Ola S1 Pro Gen 2 (The top model of Ola Electric):
Ola S1 Pro – ₹ 1,29,999/-
Ola VS Ather specifications comparison:
Feature | Ather 450X | Ola S1 Pro |
Range (claimed) | 146 km | 195 km |
Top Speed | 85 kmph | 115 kmph |
Charging Time (0-100%) | 5.5 hours (standard charger) | 6.5 hours (standard charger) |
Battery | 3.2 kWh Lithium-ion | 4 kWh Lithium-ion |
Motor | 3.3 kW AC permanent magnet motor | 8.5 kW peak power AC permanent magnet motor |
Charging cost (approx.) | 3.5 units | 4 units |
Now, there’s a clear difference in range and performance between Ola and Ather, and contrarily, Ather, despite having a higher price, offers a significantly lesser range. The only catch with buying Ola at such an affordable price is its poor product finish and troublesome after-sales service.
How Ola can reduce its price:
Although this price drop is temporary, Ola has shown a glimpse of how the EV market will go in the future. With increasing public demand, competition, infrastructure and lowering battery costs, the cost of making an electric vehicle is significantly decreasing yearly. As a result of which, EV giants like Tata, Bajaj, & Ola Electric can lower the price of their vehicles.
Here’s the price reduction by Ola Electric:
Ola’s updated prices
E-Scooter | Old Price | New Price | Price Cut |
Ola S1 Pro | 1,47,499 | 1,29,999 | 17,500 |
Ola S1 Air | 1,19,999 | 1,04,999 | 15,000 |
Ola S1X+ | 1,09,999 | 84,999 | 25,000 |
If Ola can, why others couldn’t:
After Ola’s price drop, customers also demanded a similar reaction from the other EV companies and asked, “If Ola can, why can others not:”. But the question is pointless because every company has its strategy and way of approaching the market. Moreover, Ola is already a leader in its game, so it can think about giving away discounts, which is not the case with companies like Ather or TVS Motors.
Although other companies did reduce their price in the past, too, here’s a comprehensive table
E-Vehicle | Price Drop |
Tata Motors (Nexon and Tiago EVs) | 70,000 – 1,20,000 |
Ola Electric | 25,000 |
Ather Energy | 25,002 |
Okaya EV | 18,000 |
Bajaj Chetak | 15,000 |
Conclusion:
Ola Electric has recently dropped the prices of its e-scooters significantly, making them the most affordable option in the market. This has caused concern among other EV companies, as they are worried they will lose market share to Ola. However, it is essential to note that Ola’s price cuts are likely temporary and result from their position as the market leader. Other companies, such as Ather Energy, still offer better quality products with higher ranges, although at a higher price point. The EV market is expected to become more competitive in the long run, with prices decreasing as battery costs fall.
