Hero MotorCorp, one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world as well as in India, has finally taken a dip in the EV space in India. The company recently launched its first electric scooter under the ‘Vida’ brand name and has offered up two e-scooters that go by the name Vida V1 Plus and Vida V1 Pro. While both are premium offerings, the Vida V1 Pro is the top-of-the-line variant and goes up against the likes of the Ola S1 Pro.
The Vida V1 Pro goes head-to-head with the Ola S1 Pro in most factors such as performance, range, features and more. Let’s take a look at how they fare against each other.
Vida V1 Pro vs Ola S1 Pro price in India
The Vida V1 Pro has been priced at Rs 1.59 lakh (ex-showroom) making it one of the more expensive electric scooters on sale in India. In comparison, the Ola S1 Pro comes at a cheaper Rs 1.29 lakh (ex-showroom). These prices are however devoid of FAME – II subsidies which could deflect prices state-wise.
The Ola S1 Pro is already on sale in India, however, bookings can be placed via Ola Electric’s website. Ola also offers 3 year / 40,000km warranty on the scooter and a 3-year / unlimited-kilometre warranty on the battery pack. Buyers can also opt for an extended warranty package that enables an extra 2 years of warranty. The Ola S1 Pro is available in Porcelain White, Khaki, Neo Mint, Coral Glam, Jet Black, Marshmellow, Liquid Silver, Millenial Pink, Anthracite Grey, Midnight Blue and Matt Black.
Hero MotorCorp has started taking bookings for the Vida V1 Pro from October 10th and the vehicle can be reserved by an interested customer for Rs 4,999. Colour options include Matte White, Matte Sports Red, Gloss Black, and Matte Abrax Orange. Hero MotorCorp will also offer a standard 5-year / 50,000km warranty on the vehicle while the battery is covered for 3 years / 30,000km. Hero MotorCorp will also offer a 70 percent buyback assurance for a vehicle under 18 months old.
Vida V1 Pro vs Ola S1 Pro
Design
The Vida V1 Pro takes a starkly different approach in terms of design. Where the Ola S1 Pro wears a smooth-flowing design with minimal layering, the Vida V1 Pro gets a more contoured and panelled styling. The front fascia hosts the headlamp in the apron in the Vida V1 Pro while the Ola S1 Pro wears it on the handlebar cowl. The new V1 Pro however uses multiple asymmetric designs and styling elements which to the keen eye would make an impression.
Specifications
The Hero Vida V1 Pro gets a 3.94 kWh battery pack paired with an 8 bhp electric motor. This powertrain promises to deliver 165km of driving range. The Vida V1 also boasts of a 0 to 40kmph sprint in 3.2 seconds. In comparison, the Ola S1 Pro gets a slightly more powerful set up which consists of an 8.5kW motor with 58Nm of torque that propels the scooter from 0 to 40kmph in 3 seconds. This motor is mated to a 3.97 kWh battery pack and Ola claims that a single charge can deliver a certified range of 181km. In terms of outright top speed, the Vida V1 Pro maxes out at 80kmph whereas the Ola S1 Pro moves up to a rather brisk 115kmph.
Battery and Charging
The Vida V1 Pro gets a sizeable 3.94kWh battery pack. The battery pack has been split in two and is placed under the seat. The battery packs are removable and weigh approximately 11 kilos each. Hero says that customers can choose to carry the battery pack home for charging purposes. That said, the Vida V1 Pro according to the company would take around 2 hours to charge at a DC fast charger while an AC outlet can top it up from 0 to 80 percent in 5 hours 55 minutes.
The Ola with its larger 3.97 kWh battery pack takes about 6 hours and 30 minutes in comparison to do the same.
Features
Both the scooters are kitted out very well and there’s only nitpicking that can be done in this aspect. The new Vida V1 Pro comes with a 7-inch touchscreen instrument cluster, keyless control, cruise control, SOS Alert, two-way throttle, and OTA updates. It also features four riding modes, namely Sport, Ride, Eco, and Custom. It also gets a ‘Limp Mode’ that allows the scooter to crawl at parking speeds of about 8kmph to 10kmph when the charge levels dwindle.
The Ola S1 Pro has been a leader in the features department and it gets a 7-inch touchscreen display, multiple microphones, an octa-core processor paired with 3GB RAM, 4G, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. It also gets hill descent control, reverse mode, multiple riding modes, cruise control, navigation, music playback and more.
Verdict
The Vida V1 Pro is the freshest of the lot and looks refreshing. It also promises a lot on paper which includes futuristic styling, strong performance, a substantial range, and a barge of new-age features. The Ola S1 Pro too promises all of these however brings along its own set of caveats in the forms of reliability issues, and poor after-sales service amongst others. While the V1 Pro has still got some real-life ground to cover, Hero MotorCorp’s prowess in the motorcycling world and its vast dealership touchpoint network could work in favour of the newest kid in the block.
