The Ola Futurefactory, which manufactures Ola scooters and is the world’s largest e-scooter factory, will be managed wholly by women. “An Aatmanirbhar Bharat requires Aatmanirbhar women,” tweeted Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal on Monday announcing the decision.
The first team of women employees arrived in Chennai, bursting with excitement to assist Ola to achieve its goal of approaching the EV revolution. Their first duty will be to prepare Ola’s electric scooters, the S1 and S1 Pro, for delivery.
“At full capacity, Futurefactory will employ over 10,000 women, making it the world’s largest women-only factory and the only all-women automotive manufacturing facility globally,” Bhavish Aggarwal said in a blog post.
Ola is implementing a series of comprehensive strategies to foster a more inclusive workforce and promote economic possibilities for women across the board, he added. According to Aggarwal, the company has invested heavily in training and upskilling workers in fundamental manufacturing expertise, and they will be in charge of the whole production of every vehicle produced at Ola Futurefactory.
Once completed, Ola Electric’s factory will have an annual production capacity of one crore units, or “15 percent of the world’s overall two-wheeler manufacturing.” According to experts, solely offering women equal labor-force participation can improve India’s GDP by 27 percent. However, this will require active and conscious endeavors from all of us, notably in manufacturing, where contribution remains the lowest at only 12 percent.
The Ola S1 and S1 Pro were supposed to be available for order on September 8, however, a technical glitch forced the company to postpone that sale until September 15, 2021. The base model S1 electric scooter costs Rs. 99,999 (ex-showroom), while the top-of-the-line S1 Pro model costs Rs. 129,999 (ex-showroom). These electric scooters are currently available for preorder for a price of Rs. 499.
Customers who are interested in owning their Ola S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters can do so through the company’s website. They have the option of paying the entire amount upfront or taking out a loan from one of the major banks. The Ola S1 will have an EMI of Rs. 2,999, whereas the S1 Pro will have an EMI of Rs. 3,199.
The e-scooters will be offered in 10 different color options, including satin, matte, and glossy. The Ola S1 has distinctive twin headlamps, a fluidic and ergonomic body, excellent alloy wheels, sculpted seating, with significantly large boot storage that comfortably accommodate two helmets. The S1 Pro has a range of 181 kilometers, goes from 0 to 40 kilometers per hour in 3.0 seconds, and possesses a top speed of 115 kilometers per hour. It features a battery capacity of 3.97kWh and the most efficient motor in the segment, with a peak output of 8.5 KW.
Source: Ola Electric (Blogpost)
