Ola issues statement on accident that sent rider to ICU
Ola Electric, India's biggest EV maker, has said that the recent accident was an isolated one caused due to "very high impact." After the preliminary investigation, the company issued an official statement on Twitter. To recall, the accident took place on January 21, when the front fork of an S1 Pro broke down while on the move, sending the woman rider to the ICU.
Why does this story matter?
While Ola Electric is touted as a front-runner in India's EV revolution, the journey of the brand has been a roller-coaster ride so far. On one hand, the brand has managed to sell over 150,000 e-scooters in a record time, and on the other side, the company has also grabbed headlines for fire-related as well as build quality-related incidents.
Take a look at the official statement
How did the accident happen?
According to a post by the victim's husband, Samkit Parmar, his wife was riding Ola S1 Pro at around 9.15 PM on January 21. She was allegedly riding at around 35km/h, when the front wheel got detached and she was thrown in front of the scooter, causing severe injuries. The incident landed her in ICU. We are unsure if she was wearing a helmet.
Ola has called it a case of high-impact road accident
"Our preliminary investigation into the recent incident and our analysis has revealed that this was a case of a very high-impact road accident," said Ola Electric. The company added that it is in touch with the customer and that the rider is safe and recovering. Ola Electric also noted that it would be happy to get your scooter checked to alleviate any concerns.
Ola has faced similar issues in the past
This is not the first time Ola Electric has encountered issues related to the front fork. In May last year, several customers reported incidents wherein the front suspension of their S1 Pro scooter fell apart while riding at low speed or crossing a speed breaker. Back then, the company said they were isolated incidents caused by "high-impact accidents."
Ola claims the front fork has been extensively tested
According to Ola, the single-sided front fork unit, found on the S1 and S1 Pro scooters, has been extensively tested. The company claims that the front fork arm is designed with a "factor of safety that is 80% higher than typical loads encountered on vehicles." It also noted that the EV has been rigorously tested over five million kilometers across challenging terrains.
