Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has gained attention for his criticism of conventional vehicles powered by internal combustion engines and his promotion of electric vehicles. Recently, he took a jab at Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto, two major players in the Indian auto industry, for their collaborations with global brands Harley-Davidson and Triumph, respectively.
In a tweet, Aggarwal indirectly questioned the decision of Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj Auto to partner with Harley-Davidson and Triumph, respectively, to produce affordable performance motorcycles with traditional petrol engines. He expressed his confusion as to why established Indian auto brands would collaborate with Western brands to create products with “outdated” internal combustion technology. Aggarwal emphasized that Ola Electric is focused on shaping the future of motorcycling with electric vehicles through the Make-In-India initiative.
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For those unaware, Hero MotoCorp took over Harley-Davidson’s operations in India in 2020, while Bajaj Auto did the same with Triumph in 2023. These collaborations aimed to produce affordable performance motorcycles in India for the global market. The recently launched Harley-Davidson X440 and Bajaj Auto’s Speed 400 and Scrambler 400X are the initial outcomes of these joint initiatives.
Aggarwal’s tweet has generated mixed responses from netizens. While some support his viewpoint on electric vehicles being the future, others have criticized him for not addressing concerns within his own company. Netizens highlighted quality issues experienced by Ola Electric customers, such as front suspension breakage and software bugs. They also emphasized that internal combustion vehicles will continue to exist alongside electric vehicles.
It’s worth noting that Aggarwal’s tweet comes four months after Ola Electric issued a recall to upgrade the front suspension design due to reports of breakage. This was a significant concern regarding the build quality of the Ola S1 scooter, which prompted customer feedback and raised alarms.
Rajiv Bajaj had earlier talked about Ola
The cheekiest one among two-wheeler makers, however, came from Rajiv Bajaj himself who said that “There is a saying breakfast of the champions. Champions eat OATS for breakfast. OATS stands for Ola, Ather, Tork and Smart E. Indian two-wheeler makers have battled the Japanese very successfully. In the 150cc above sports motorcycle category, Enfield, Bajaj and TVS have a 70-80 per cent share. We are not lightweight.”
Bhavish Aggarwal, the CEO of Ola Electric, a prominent electric vehicle manufacturer, recently criticized established two-wheeler manufacturers who primarily produce internal combustion engine vehicles. Aggarwal claimed that Ola Electric would be the most efficient automaker in the country and questioned the effectiveness of the investments made by traditional manufacturers in transitioning to BS-VI emission norms. This statement from Aggarwal has sparked responses from the heads of various two-wheeler conglomerates.
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