Ola S1 Air vs Ola S1 Pro - Differences Explained

The Ola S1 Air is the most affordable production scooter in the Ola Electric portfolio and brings with it a bunch of new changes. How different is it from the 2023 Ola S1 Pro and what does it miss out on, we get you the answer.

Price

The main reason for the existence of the S1 Air is to make the brand more accessible and approachable to the masses.

For this reason it’s the most affordable Ola scooter on sale and is available at an introductory price of Rs 1.10 lakh (until August 15), after which it will be sold for Rs 1.20 lakh.

In comparison the new Ola S1 Pro retails for Rs 1.47 lakh (all prices mentioned are ex-showroom), as you can see there is significant price difference between the two scooters.

Motor

The Ola S1 Air employs a rather simple hub motor whereas the S1 Pro features a more sophisticated mid drive motor.

Peak power is different at 6 kW vs 11 kW and the difference in performance is also clearly evident.

The S1 Pro has a better top speed of 120 kmph as opposed to 90 kmph and so are the acceleration figures. The S1 Pro also gets the very popular Hyper mode as well.

Range

To keep the pricing competitive, Ola engineers have opted for a smaller 2.98 kWh battery pack, while the S1 Pro gets a larger 4 kWh unit. This means the range of the new scooter is lesser, but since both the scooters are offered with the same charger, the charging time of the S1 Air is lesser owing to the smaller battery.

Underpinnings

The S1 Air debuted the new Gen 2 frame which is claimed to be lighter, stiffer and stronger. The 2023 Ola S1 Pro also features the same frame and both the scooters run on telescopic fork.

However, the rear suspension is different as the S1 Air sports cheaper twin shock absorbers, whereas the S1 Pro gets a more premium monoshock suspension setup.

The S1 Air opts for cheaper steel wheels and drum brakes to cut costs, the S1 Pro rides on alloy wheels and sports disc brakes on either ends.

Style & Features

Visually both the scooters are pretty identical but there are some distinctions. The most noticeable one is the flatter footboard on the S1 Air & Pro owing to the new frame and a different grab rail.

Also, the steel wheels and drum brakes make S1 Air look a bit underwhelming in comparison to the S1 Pro.

Credit to Ola that the new electric scooter comes loaded with features and the only minor difference is in the screen resolution of the TFT touchscreen and the lack of Hyper riding mode.