Ola Electric launches indigenously made cell, new sport scooter

Pochampalli: In a significant milestone in its indigenous push, home-grown Ola Electric on Friday announced that its ‘4680 Bharat’ cell, made at its ‘Giga Factory’ here, will be integrated into two of its existing models -- S1 Pro Plus scooter and Roadster X Plus motorcycle.

The company also launched the S1 Pro Sport electric scooter and introduced an advanced prototype of the Diamondhead, a motorcycle that is expected to hit the market by mid-2027 and cost under Rs 5 lakh. All these vehicles will be powered by the indigenously made battery cell.

“We will start deliveries of vehicles powered by the indigenously made cells this Navratri. The cell is the heart of an electric vehicle, and these made-in-India cells will not just enhance performance and fast-charging capacity but also reduce costs, since everything is being made here,” Bhavish Aggarwal, founder and chairman, Ola Electric, told DH during a brief interaction.

Aggarwal also announced price reductions: the S1 Pro Plus will drop from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 1.70 lakh, while the Roadster X Plus will be reduced from Rs 2.25 lakh to Rs 1.89 lakh, following integration of the indigenously made cells.

The Giga Factory, built at a cost of Rs 2,800 crore on over 100 acres, will initially have a 5 GWh capacity, expandable to 100 GWh. Aggarwal displayed the 4680 cell at the Sankalp 2025 event held at the factory, along with 46100 and 46120 cells, which will have 5x and 7x higher capacity, respectively, than existing cells used in electric vehicles.

The 4680 Bharat cell can hypercharge from 20% to 80% in just 15 minutes and has a lifespan of 15 years, equivalent to around 2,000 battery cycles. India’s burgeoning electric vehicle industry is currently dependent on lithium-ion cells from countries like China, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.

“We want to create an India that stands on its own, and we have to build our own technology – especially at a time when some countries are restricting their core technologies. We will continue to build such factories. We won’t stop at manufacturing; we will also focus on technology, which we will share with the world in line with our value system,” Aggarwal said.

The entrepreneur also unveiled India’s first indigenously developed ferrite motor, which uses no rare-earth magnets, thus ensuring complete supply chain independence.

“We will start deploying the ferrite motors in our vehicles from the third quarter of FY26, in a phased manner. We have eliminated the imported magnets in this motor, reducing our dependence on rare-earth materials that are available in only a few countries,” he added.

Aggarwal said the company expects to sell between 3.25 lakh and 3.75 lakh units this year. “The company is entering a profitable growth phase with an expanded scooter portfolio, and we believe the festive season will drive growth,” he said.

Featuring a powerful 16 kW motor paired with a 5.2 kWh battery powered by the 4680 Bharat cell, the S1 Pro Sport starts at an introductory price of Rs 1,49,999, with deliveries beginning in January 2026.