Ola Electric acquires EV maker Etergo, likely to bring AppScooter to India in 2021

EV startups getting acquired by big auto or tech giants (or at least drawing major investments), is a common story these days. This morning Ola made an announcement on similar lines when Ola Electric acquired Etergo - an EV startup from the Netherlands, that was founded in 2014. For those following the EV space, the cute AppScooter from Etergo would be a familiar topic. 

For those not in the know, the AppScooter looks like a premium product with a minimalist design and is powered by a 6kW electric motor that is good for 135Nm of torque (at wheel) and a 0-45kmph sprint time of 3.9s. It features regenerative braking and is mated to a swappable modular battery setup consisting of up to three lithium-ion battery packs that weigh 7.5kg each, with a range of 80km per module (at 20kmph). These batteries are 11.5kWh per module and have a 1.5-hour fast charging time (up to 80%) or 2.3 hours on a 600-watt charger.

Etergo takes pride in the lightweight yet robust construction of the AppScooter's frame and body panels. The scooter features a 50l storage compartment and upfront is a 7-inch Android infotainment touchscreen console that comes with LTE, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity with OTA service and feature updates. Interestingly, the scooter also has the ability to play music through speakers built into the bodywork and double as a safety feature with their ability to play a unique vehicular sound to make pedestrians and other road users aware of the scooter while it is on the move. 

With the acquisition of Etergo BV, Ola Electric aims to distribute this scooter in the global markets including India. The scooter is priced around 4,000 euros (Rs 3.3 lakh approximately), so it will be interesting to see how Ola Electric manages to price it in India. In our market, the Etergo AppScooter will contend with the likes of the Bajaj Chetak EV, the Ather 450X, the TVS iQube and upcoming EV from Vespa, the Elettrica. We won't be surprised if Ola decides to build a localised variant of the Etergo, or even design an all-new cost-effective e-scooter exclusively for India with the acquired talent from Etergo. Either way, Ola Electric confirms that its e-scooter for India will be out in 2021. 

Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Ola Electric said, "The future of mobility is electric, and the post COVID world presents an opportunity for us to accelerate the adoption of electric mobility globally. Every year, almost twice the number of two-wheelers are sold across the world compared to cars. With electric, digitally connected capabilities, two-wheelers will further emerge as the most preferred urban mobility paradigm around the world and empower every consumer. We look forward to building the best global capabilities in engineering, design, and manufacturing for these products to be made here in India."