Ather 450X vs OLA S1 Pro which is best?

The Ather electric scooter has been India’s best-selling EV for several years, despite its limited availability for what felt like an eternity. However, the Ola S1 Pro is now a genuine challenger to that claim. The Ola appears to be superior to the Ather on paper in every way, and now we can see if that holds true in practice.

Ather 450X vs OLA S1 Pro: First Impression

They have a sleek and contemporary appearance at first glance. In spite of its familiarity, the Ather’s floating side panels and LED lighting still make it stand out today. While the Ola appears to be smaller in comparison, I think its sweeping lines, single-sided suspension, android-like headlamps, and bigger tyres contribute to its futuristic appearance even more.

Additionally, Ola has used huge bezels to create the idea that the scooter’s infotainment screen is larger than it actually is. As it is, both scooters feature a 7-inch TFT display, which is still quite remarkable for this market and price range.

The Ather’s level of craftsmanship and workmanship is unquestionably superior to anything else on the market. 450X’s mirrors, plate holder, and even the side stand all have a premium feel to them. With irregular panel gaps and a poorer degree of quality fit and finish, the S1 Pro fails to impress at a closer inspection.

These two-wheelers are perhaps the most feature-rich ones built in India. Ather has been the top dog in its category for a long time, thanks to its large TFT display, reverse feature and Bluetooth connectivity. Ola, on the other hand, created a splash when they promised that they will bring even more features when it launched in August of last year.

Like the fact that there is no physical key and that you may start the scooter either by using your smartphone as a digital proximity or six-digit pin on the TFT display, some of them are mould-breaking. For a ride, first you have to hold the brake and press a button. After pressing the TFT screen will glow asking you to enter the pin. After entering the pin, hold the brake again and press the start button. Because Ola’s screen may be a bit glitchy and sluggish to respond, we also missed having a real key to use.

No one can say for sure whether or not the Ola S1 Pro will run more smoothly with a connected phone, but it is possible. There will be future software updates that provide Bluetooth connectivity and navigation as well as music playback and cruise control.

Ather 450X vs OLA S1 Pro: Performance

The Ola has a significant edge over the competition when it comes to motor specs, particularly peak power (8.5kW versus 6kW) and overall performance. There is an audible whine and some minor vibrations on both scooters while they are being accelerated, but the Ola’s motor is notably more quiet and smooth in its operation.

Ola has made some tweaks to the scooter since we last drove it (and reported on performance-related thermal issues), as each of the four riding modes now feels dumbed down in the initial acceleration of each mode. When you first press the accelerator pedal, the scooter’s response is sluggish, and its true potential isn’t seen until it reaches speeds of 25-30 kilometres per hour. Our testing show that the Ather 450X is faster than the Ola up to 40kph in every mode.

The Ola overtakes the Ather once you hit 50 kph, but it lacks the low-end zip that makes EVs so exhilarating unless you put it in the quickest Hyper mode. On top of all that, we found that Ola had a substantial level of speedo inaccuracy. According to Ola, the vehicle’s top speed is 115 kph, while our Vbox measures its actual top speed at 99.8 kph. Vbox-rated 80.3kph for the Ather is exactly what the manufacturer promises.

Despite Ola’s efforts to reduce the motor’s performance in each mode, we nevertheless received two high temperature warnings for the motor, once during our performance tests and once while riding in steep terrain. This allowed the scooter to transition from Hyper mode to a more limited version of Normal mode during this period. Things returned to normal after around fifteen minutes of cooling.

While driving in heavy traffic, you may notice that the Ola will disconnect the accelerator even if you press the brakes lightly.

Ather 450X vs OLA S1 Pro: Seating Comfort

This is not the case with the Ather, but tall riders have to remember to keep their knees out of the way when making tight turns on the Ather because it seems more compact. While the Ather is physically smaller, its smaller battery and elegant aluminium chassis make it significantly lighter. The Ather’s steering and braking are more precise because of the vehicle’s narrower tyres. Both cars have disc brakes on both ends of their combined braking systems, yet the Ather’s back wheel may still lock up very easily.

A taller rider will prefer the Ola, which offers a larger cabin and better seating options. That centre tube on the Ola’s floorboard isn’t a big deal unless you plan on bringing a lot of heavy stuff with you. Although the Ather’s boot is fairly decent, the Ola’s is significantly superior to the S1’s underseat storage.

When it comes to the suspension setup, the scenario is very similar. When compared to the Ola, the Ather’s set-up is a lot more rigid, especially in the rear. As Ather comes with a unique front suspension, it goes well on the rounded-out bumps, but whenever you hit something sharp, it responds with a thud. “

Ather 450X vs OLA S1 Pro: Range In A Full Charge

The Ola S1 Pro has a battery that is 50% larger than the Ather 450X, and the difference is clear to see in the real world.

As a test run, we pushed both of the scooters all the way up to 100 percent before they had to be plugged into a charging station. At times we encountered traffic jams as well as wide roads with fast-moving traffic. The only guideline was to ride in the same direction as the traffic.

As far as range goes, the Ather managed 74 kilometres in Sport mode, while the Ola surpassed that with a trip of just over 100 kilometres. There were better results using a ride mode setting for the Ather and normal setting for the Ola in our second test run. The Ather completed 88 kilometres, while the Ola completed an impressive 127 kilometres.

Ola has done an outstanding job with these figures, which are incredibly practical and easy to work with in everyday life. Both times, the battery died suddenly even though the display said there was still 10 kilometres of range left. This was a hard lesson for us to learn. The Ather’s range indicator, on the other hand, was extremely accurate and trustworthy.

The Ather’s smaller battery took roughly four and a half hours to recharge using the included portable chargers, while the Ola’s larger battery took almost seven hours to recharge. They don’t have replaceable batteries, but both firms are investing in a network of quick chargers across the country.

Ather 450X vs OLA S1 Pro: Who Is The Winner?

If you’ve been keeping up with Ather’s amazing scooter for years, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better one out there now that there’s so much new competition out there. Because of the state and national level subsidies, the Ola is cheaper than the Ather and offers greater overall performance, range, comfort, and outright performance than the Ather. Ola S1 Pro costs Rs 1.11 lakh on the road in Maharashtra, whilst Ather costs Rs 1.35 lakh on the road in the state of Maharashtra.

Despite the fact that it appears that Ola has a distinct advantage, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. To begin, Ola’s home delivery model and service have much to prove. Ola’s social media is rife with customer complaints about delays, difficulty with registration, or a general lack of communication, despite the comparatively low number of vehicles being delivered at the moment.

There are also concerns about the product’s quality and problematic software, but these are understandable given that this is Ola’s first product and the firm is striving to fix the issues raised by its customers. A more pressing concern is that the scooter continues to exhibit performance-related heat problems. Hopefully, they’ll be able to work things out in the future.

Even though some customers have recently reported a more significant problem, where the scooter unexpectedly reverses when the rider selects a forward riding mode, it is still a rather minor issue. Even though the scooter was showing that it was in Normal mode when we pressed the accelerator from a stop to begin the ride, it suddenly reversed direction without notice.

As a result, even though Ola appears to be the more attractive product at this point, we are unable to recommend it. There is no guarantee that Ola will be able to deliver on its promises until these key faults and issues are addressed. Until then, the tried-and-true Ather is a better choice.