Ola goes Electric with scooter for global market

India’s leading ride-hailing and mobility solutions company has appointed a South Korean automobile industry veteran to steer its Ola Electric global expansion plans.

Ola Electric has announced the appointment of Yongsung Kim as Head of Global Sales and Distribution, overseeing India and international markets as part of its electric vehicles (EV) drive.

As a 35-year veteran with Hyundai Motor and Kia, the company said Yongsung brings global automotive sales experience from around the world, including North America, Europe, UK, Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, Asia Pacific and India – where he spent several years, first with Hyundai Motor and then with Kia, to build the South Korean giant’s market presence in India.

Yongsung will lead both the domestic and international strategy for sales and go-to-market for Ola Electric as it gears up to launch its first electric scooter across India and multiple international markets, including Europe and the UK, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia.

Winning strategy

Bhavish Aggarwal, Chairman and Group CEO of Ola, expressed his excitement at having Yongsung join the team at Ola Electric.

“I look forward to collaborating with him as we launch our range of electric products around the world. His expertise in sales, distribution and service will be critical for our global expansion and for bringing our advanced, innovative electric products to our customers,” he said.

Ola describes its upcoming electric two-wheeler as a “leapfrog product” that is packed with several in-house innovations including the motor, the battery as well as the vehicle computer – all designed by the Bengaluru-headquartered firm.

Yongsung Kim said: “I am very excited to join Ola Electric and its team to develop a winning strategy for India and global sales for its range of EV products, beginning with the Ola Scooter.

“With this new assignment, I also returned to India, where I had spent several years in the sales teams of Hyundai Motors and Kia, so it is doubly satisfying for me and a great opportunity to work together towards putting India on the world EV map.”

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Transition model

The company’s first electric scooter claims to be best-in-class range and performance. Ola says its electric two-wheeler is “priced aggressively” to make it accessible to all and will help accelerate India’s transition to sustainable mobility.

The Ola Scooter has already won several prestigious awards. including the IHS Markit Innovation award at CES and the German Design Award.

“It has a breathtaking design, incredible performance and industry first smart features that reimagine the entire scooter experience for customers in India and around the world,” Ola said.

To manufacture the scooter, Ola said it is building the Ola Futurefactory at record speed, with its first phase expected to be operational this summer and the full factory ready by next year. Built over 500 acres, the 10-million annual capacity Ola Futurefactory will be the world's largest two wheeler factory, producing a vehicle every 2 seconds at full capacity.

It claims to be the world’s most advanced with over 3,000 robots powered by Ola’s proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) and also the greenest with 100 acres of forest on site and a fully carbon-negative operation.

Mobility platform

Ola pitches itself as India’s largest mobility platform and one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies, serving 250 million customers across three continents. The Ola app offers mobility solutions by connecting customers to drivers and a wide range of vehicles across bikes, auto-rickshaws, metered taxis, and cabs, enabling convenience and transparency for hundreds of millions of consumers and over 2.5 million driver-partners.

Ola’s core mobility offering in India is supplemented by its new electric-vehicle arm, Ola Electric, and its fleet management business, Ola Fleet Technologies. Ola also extends its consumer offerings like micro-insurance and credit-led payments through Ola Financial Services and a range of owned food brands with India’s largest network of cloud kitchens through Ola Foods.