Ola opened the doors of its Gigafactory for the 2025 edition of Ola Sankalp to give us a glimpse of its promising future.

The company introduced its first indigenously developed lithium-ion battery cell called 4680 Bharat Cell, which promises to deliver higher energy density for a longer time. Ola plans to use the Bharat Cell for powering Ola electric vehicles, energy storage solutions and even drones. This new cell will be produced at Ola’s Gigafactory, which is located in Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu.  

Ola also unveiled India’s first ferrite motor, which has a simple design and uses ferrite magnets instead of rare-earth magnets, limiting the reliance on global suppliers of rare-earth materials.

In terms of new products, the company launched the S1 Pro Sport scooter, a sporty variant of its S1 Pro, which will be available with either a 4kWh or a 5.2kWh battery pack. Prices for the S1 Pro Sport will start from ₹1.50 lakh (introductory, ex-showroom) and deliveries will begin from January 2026. At the event, Ola also announced the prices for the S1 Pro+ and Roadster X+, which are priced at ₹1.70 lakh and ₹1.90 lakh, respectively. However, deliveries for these two models will only commence during the festive season.

A peek into the future came with the Ola Diamondhead prototype, a futuristic electric motorcycle, which Ola claims can sprint from 0 – 100kmph in just two seconds. Ola is planning on putting this innovative motorcycle into production by 2027 and is hoping to price it in the ₹5 lakh bracket. The Diamondhead is still just a concept; however, the quirky design has some uniqueness baked into it in the form of a hub-mounted steering system.

Ola also unveiled a new modular platform called Gen 4, which the company claims is so versatile that it can spawn two, three, four-wheeled vehicles and can also be used to make drones and humanoids. However, there were no examples showcased. Ola also stated that this new platform is 76 percent more powerful in comparison to Gen 1 platform, and 25 percent lighter, 15 percent more energy efficient, and reduces the cost by 41 percent.

On the software front, Ola also introduced MoveOS 6, its AI-powered operating system with over twenty-five new features, which includes adaptive cruise control, front collision warning, lane departure warning and support for eleven Indian languages, to name a few. The MoveOS 6 will be introduced on Ola’s upcoming products starting 2026, however, Ola did not make it clear whether existing scooters will get this update or not. Overall, the 2025 Ola Sankalp event promised a lot, and it was quite an exciting promise, we must say.

The post Ola Electric Sankalp 2025 first appeared on Turbocharged.

It starts with a new face that features a split headlamp setup while the rear gets a sleek connected LED tail lamp. Inside, there’s a new dashboard layout featuring a bigger 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment in the centre, a new two-spoke steering wheel and a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display. Other new additions include a 360-degree camera, height adjustable driver and co-passenger seats, as well as touch-sensitive HVAC controls 

Powertrain options remain the same as before with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engine. The former puts out 120PS and 170Nm with three gearbox options – a five-speed manual, a six-speed AMT, and new for the facelift, a  seven-speed DCT, depending on the variant. On the other hand, the diesel engine puts out 115PS and 160Nm with transmission options including a six-speed manual and a six-speed AMT.

The sub-four metre SUV will be on offer in Smart, Smart+, Smart+ (S), Pure+, Pure+ (S), Creative, Creative+, Creative+ (S), Fearless, Fearless (S) and Fearless+ (S). The (S) stands for sunroof while ‘+’ denotes optional packages, just like on the Punch micro-SUV. While prices aren’t out yet, it should retail at a premium over the model it replaces.

The Tata Nexon’s huge list of competitors in the sub-four metre segment include the Maruti Suzuki Brezza, Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Nissan Magnite, Renault Kiger and the Mahindra XUV 300. We will be driving the SUV tomorrow, so stay tuned for our first drive review, coming out soon.

The post 2023 Tata Nexon debuts with a huge makeover first appeared on Turbocharged.

River, a Bengaluru based EV startup, has rolled out the first unit of its first ever product called the Indie electric scooter from its manufacturing facility based in Hoskote, Karnataka. The electric scooter was first launched in February at an introductory price of Rs 1.25 lakh, ex-showroom Bengaluru, but the prices are set to be revised due to revisions in the FAME-II subsidies and will be announced soon. The initial price remains the same for the pre-order customers in Bengaluru, though.  

The Indie looks distinct with twin LED headlamps, an LED tail lamp and there is ample storage space starting from a 12-litre lockable glove box with a USB port and a segment-leading 43-litre boot space. Additionally there are lock and load pannier mounts which can be equipped with a 40-litre pannier box and a 25-litre all-weather hard top box on the rear grab handle. 

In terms of features, there is an LCD instrument console and three riding modes – Eco, Ride and Rush, on offer. It gets 14-inch front and rear wheels, both equipped with disc brakes along with a combi-braking system. The suspension duties are handled by telescopic suspensions at the front and twin-hydraulic shock absorbers at the rear. 

The River Indie gets a 4kWh battery pack that powers a mid-mounted electric motor with a peak output of 6kW (9.1PS) and 26Nm. It can hit a claimed top speed of 90kmph with 0-40kmph coming up in 3.9 seconds. The real world range is claimed to be 120km on a single charge and you can top up the electric scooter from 0-80 percent in 5 hours using a 15Amp home charger. 

River will be launching its first experience centre in Bengaluru in November, meanwhile pre-order customers can book a slot to test ride the electric scooter using their River account. We will soon be riding the electric scooter so stay tuned for our first ride review.

The post First River Indie electric scooter rolls-out of the factory first appeared on Turbocharged.