India’s Ola Electric to sell e-2Ws with 4680 cells from 2025

Ola Electric developed new batteries for the electric two-wheelers called the ‘Bharat 4680 cell’. The company says the battery packs featuring the Bharat 4680 cell possess five times more energy density than those containing the more common 2170 cells – (275 Wh/kg). Their wider operating range of 10-70ºC makes them more suitable for India’s diverse climatic conditions.

The Bharat 4680 cell has a longer life of more than 1,000 charge cycles, which will help Ola Electric instil confidence in customers concerned about the durability of its electric scooters. The company also promises improved fast charging, guaranteeing a 50% charge in just 13 minutes.

While Ola Electric is currently using NMC chemistry for the Bharat 4680 cell, the company says that at a later stage, it will expand to lower-cost chemistries. “Eventually, in about let’s say a couple of years or so from now, we will come up in the same platform with an LFP and an LMFP chemistry also,” Founder, Chairman, and Managing Director Bhavish Aggarwal said during the company’s Q1 FY2025 results conference call.

The Ola Gig is a commercial model with a short seat for a single rider and a large carrier behind it. Ola Electric offers it in standard and plus (+) variants for 39,999 Indian rupees (450 euros) and 49,999 Indian rupees (562 euros), respectively. The standard variant features a 0.25 kW hub motor that gives the electric scooter a top speed of 25 kph and a removable 1.5 kWh battery pack that returns a range of 112 km. The plus variant upgrades to a 1.5 kW hub motor that bumps the maximum speed to 45 kph. It has a 1.5 kWh battery pack that delivers a range of 81 km, although the company does offer customers an option to specify a second 1.5 kWh unit and increase that figure to 157 km.

The Ola S1 Z is a budget-friendly electric scooter for both personal and commercial use. Ola Electric has launched it in standard and plus (+) variants for 59,999 Indian rupees (674 euros) and 64,999 Indian rupees (731 euros), respectively. The standard variant is designed with personal use in mind, featuring a larger seat that can accommodate a pillion rider. The ‘plus’ variant has a shorter, single-person seat and a large carrier behind it, much like the Ola Gig. The company uses a 3 kW hub motor and a 1.5 kWh removable battery pack in both variants, giving the electric scooter a top speed of 70 kph and a range of 75 km. Customers are also able to choose two 1.5 kWh removable battery packs optionally in both variants to increase the range to 146 km.

Ola Electric plans to manufacture Bharat 4680 cells at a gigafactory in Krishnagiri, a city in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. The company says the plant has an annual production capacity of 1.4 GWh and plans to expand that figure to 6.4 GWh by 2025 and 20 GWh by 2026.

According to the Indian manufacturer, the Ola PowerPod is a versatile and reliable power source. It also allows Ola’s portable battery to double as an inverter which can power small household appliances, lights, fans, and other essential devices. The PowerPod has a maximum output of 500W, a 1.5kWh battery that can provide power for 3 hours to run 5 LED bulbs, 3 ceiling fans, 1 TV, 1 Mobile charging, and 1 Wi-Fi router. This dual functionality of the battery offers a valuable proposition for users in semi-urban and rural areas where access to a stable electricity supply may be limited

x.com, olaelectric.com, olaelectric.com, olaelectric.com (S1 Z)