KIA ORA INDIA | VOL 3 ISSUE 2 | JUNE 2021

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Reimagine the future of transport Ola to bring its electric 2-wheeler range to NZ Ride sharing company, Ola aims to become a game-changer in the electric 2-wheeler market with its industryfirst technology features, hypercharger network that enables adoption, and a FutureFactory that will roll out one scooter every 2 seconds. KiaOra India writer, Priti Garude goes in depth into this new way of mobility. Part of its broader vision of moving the world towards sustainable mobility solutions, Ola is set to bring its electric 2 wheeler range of products to New Zealand. Popularly known around the world for its ride-hailing services, Ola is India’s largest mobility platform, a Bengaluru headquartered multinational company that has created waves since its entry into the market in 2011. Serving over 250+cities around the world, Ola Cabs made its New Zealand debut in 2018 and currently operates in over 11 cities around the country. Welcoming the New Zealand government’s move to carbon neutrality especially in the mobility sector, Ola, with the introduction of its electric scooters will help support the New Zealand government’s goal of on-roading 64,000 new electric vehicles by the end of 2021, while also helping the public sector become carbon neutral by 2025. Brian Dewil, Managing Director, Ola NZ said the government’s climate emergency announcement puts more responsibility on transport providers to step up and make changes. “Ola wants to play an important part in New Zealand’s journey to become carbon neutral. We’ve witnessed strong and steady growth in the e-scooter and e-bike sector so we believe Ola’s new scooter product will be welcomed by consumers as a way to contribute towards establishing a 0-carbon economy.” The launch date for these electric scooters is not yet set.

A peek into Ola’s new Electric Scooter The soon-to-be-launched Ola Scooter is a tech-driven electric vehicle with industry leading range and speed. It is expected to have innovative design, removable battery, high performance, and range as well as a host of industry first technology features. The scooter has already won several prestigious design and innovation awards including the IHS Markit Innovation award at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) and the German Design Award. The company last month hired Wayne Burgess, as Head of Vehicle Design for its entire product range including scooters, bikes, cars and more. Burgess has worked on some of the most legendary and iconic cars in automotive history including the Bentley Arnage in 1998, Aston Martin’s DB9 in the mid 2000s and more recently, the Jaguar XF, F-Type, F-Pace SUV, XE as well as many others. Ola plans to bring many such design and software innovations to their global markets, including New Zealand, in the coming months.