Ola Electric has revealed its self-driving scooter called Ola Solo on its official YouTube channel and social media handles. Ola Solo could be the world’s first fully autonomous scooter. The company shared the video on April 1, 2024. This led many people to think it could be a April Fools Day joke but the company’s Co-founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal has denied this and confirmed that it is an actual working prototype. He also shared the video of the self-ridden scooter on his X (formerly Twitter) handle while calling it the “Future of Mobility.” The video shows the Ola electric scooter moving around an enclosed area without a rider onboard.
He said that it’s not just an April Fools joke. It’s real and the company has been working on the technology and have prototyped it. He added that Ola Solo is a glimpse into the future of mobility and we will see the self-balancing tech in two-wheelers in the future products of the electric scooter manufacturer.
The tweet by Aggarwal reads, “Not just an April Fools joke! We announced Ola Solo yesterday. It went viral and many people debated whether it’s real or an April fools joke! While the video was meant to provide a laugh to people, the technology behind it is something we’ve been working on and have prototyped. It shows the kind of pioneering work our engineering teams are capable of. Ola Solo is a glimpse into the future of mobility and our engineering teams are working on autonomous and self-balancing tech in two wheelers which you’ll see if future products from us.
Not just an April fools joke!
We announced Ola Solo yesterday. It went viral and many people debated whether it’s real or an April fools joke!
While the video was meant to provide a laugh to people, the technology behind it is something we’ve been working on and have… pic.twitter.com/4AUEqtPBGW
— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) April 2, 2024
“Ola Solo”, which is being labeled as “India’s first autonomous electric scooter,” is a cutting-edge addition to the electric scooter industry. Ola claims that the Solo is an electric scooter that is traffic-smart, AI-enabled, and completely autonomous scooter that will completely change urban transportation. According to the company, all the part of the Solo electric scooter including hardware and software has been “ideated, innovated, and manufactured” in-house.
“Hail a ride or drive your own Solo. We will disrupt ride hailing and local commerce!” Mr Aggarwal wrote on April 1.
The video of the Ola Solo driving without a rider has gone viral attracting many types of opinions from social media users. Many people are impressed by the tech and hopes it could be brought to the market soon.
One user commented that “If this becomes a reality OLA will be untouchable in the Indian Market.” While another wrote that “Ola Solo isn’t just a one-time joke. It’s a step toward the future of getting around. Ola’s engineering teams are busy developing tech for self-driving & self-balancing motorcycles, setting the stage for future products that will change how we travel from one place to another.”
While another user wished it to become a reality soon so that he can gift it his mom who has to walk 2km everyday.
Ms Kalinga