Ola Electric customers cry over never-ending issues, even from day 1 after purchase

Mumbai/New Delhi: Ola Electric’s flagship S1 series EV scooter has turned out to be a nightmare for several customers as they continue to face issues like malfunctioning hardware and glitching software even from day one after purchase.

An angry customer from Agra on Thursday posted a video on X, showing an Ola Electric service station in the city in complete mess.

“This is the current situation of Agra Ola electric service station. People are so enraged because no solutions are provided for their problems. Ola electric is fastest growing when it comes to their scooters coming back to service stations for 2-3 months,” the customer posted.

Another grieving customer posted on X the reality of Ola Electric.

“Received scooter after month, in more broken and damage conditions what a hard-earned money I promise. @bhash shame on ur fake promise and commitment @OlaElectric”.

According to a media report based on interactions with several such customers, Ola S1 scooters are plagued with malfunctioning hardware and glitching software. Spares are hard to come by, resulting in inordinate delays.

An Ola Electric customer Manoj from Chembur here was quoted as saying that he has been making trips to the Ola centre frequently just to keep his scooter running.

He spent more than Rs one lakh to purchase the Ola Electric scooter to save money on petrol. “But I frequently visit the company service centre to get my EV scooter fixed,” he said.

Mayur Bhagat, another Ola Electric customer, said, he faced problems in his Ola electric scooter from day one after purchase.

“I purchased the vehicle in July this year. There is a software glitch — the app refuses to connect with the vehicle — which hasn’t been fixed despite the company keeping the vehicle for nearly a month. I have no other option but to continue making trips to the service centre", lamented Bhagat.

“Ola Electric operates its dealership, It is the biggest problem with the company. If it is handled by franchise partners, the issues would’ve been resolved,” said Bhagat.

Ola Electric is based on a direct-to-customer model. The company owns and operates all 500 plus experience centres and 430 service centres across the country.

On Thursday, Bhavish Aggarwal-run Ola Electric's stock was trading at 103 apiece in the morning trade, down 35 per cent from its peak.

As per reports, Ola Electric receives around 80,000 complaints monthly, overwhelming its service centres. On peak days, complaints even rise to 6,000-7,000. That resulted in a pile-up and a backlog.