Okinawa Okhi-90 vs Ola S1 Pro: Which one should you buy?

Citing fiercer competition from the newer and more advanced offerings in the electric scooter, Okinawa has just expanded its lineup of electric scooters by launching its new flagship, the Okhi-90. Compared to its previous flagship, the iPraise+, the new Okinawa Okhi-90 features an all-new design, more utility and fancy features and upgraded battery and motor configurations to up the game against the rising competition, which is currently led by the revolutionary Ola S1 Pro.

Both the electric scooters are coming from relatively new automakers in India, and are promising to be the better ones in their ways. Here, we have compared the new Okinawa Okhi-90 with the Ola S1 Pro to find out if it is that good to dethrone the Ola S1 Pro as the most desirable electric scooter in the current times: 

Price

Okinawa has launched the Okhi-90 in just one fully-loaded variant, which is priced at Rs 1.21 lakh. This price point undercuts the Ola S1 Pro by a fair margin, which is priced at Rs 1.30 lakh, thus making it almost Rs 9,000 more affordable in comparison.

(Both prices mentioned above are ex-showroom, pan India)

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Engine and Chassis

The Okinawa Okhi-90 might be the newer scooter out of the two, but it is the Ola S1 Pro that continues to be the performance champ when the outright performance of both the scooters are compared. Compared to the 3.8 kW motor of the Okinawa Okhi-90, the Ola S1 Pro has a much more powerful 8.5 kW motor. The Ola S1 Pro can be operated in three riding modes – normal, sport and hyper, with the scooter capable of touching a top speed of 115 kmph in the Hyper mode. On the contrary, the Okhi-90 is available with two riding modes – Eco and Sport and can touch a top speed of 90 kmph in the Sport mode.

Then comes the comparison of batteries, a competition which the Ola S1 Pro wins with its bigger 3.97 kWh lithium-ion battery, compared to the 3.6 kWh lithium-ion battery in the Okinawa Okhi-90. The bigger battery in the S1 Pro returns a higher claimed range of 181 km, which is more than the 160 km range of the Okhi-90. However, the bigger battery of the S1 Pro takes a longer charging time of 6.5 hours, while the battery of the Okhi-90 takes just 3-4 hours for a full charge. Both the batteries can be charged using the DC supply, however, the battery of the Okhi-90 offers the advantage of being detachable.

When it comes to ride quality, the Okinawa Okhi-90 feels more reassuring with its better twin forks and shock absorbers, compared to the single-sided suspension setup at both the ends of the Ola S1 Pro. Also, the bigger 16-inch wheels in the Okinawa Okhi-90 are expected to deliver motorcycle-like handling, which is going to be better than the balance offered by the smaller 12-inch wheels of the S1 Pro.

Dimension

When you see both the scooters side-by-side, it is the Ola S1 Pro that looks smaller, and that’s down to the fact that the Okhi-90 measures much longer than the S1 Pro. However, a closer inspection reveals that both the scooters are equally wider and taller. The taller wheels and taller seat height in the Okhi-90 further give an impression of it being a bigger scooter of the two.

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Design and Features

Both the Okinawa Okhi-90 look radically different and very futuristic when compared to the usual crowd of petrol-powered scooters. The Okinawa Okhi-90 has a very unusual stance for a scooter, and that is purely due to the taller 16-inch wheels at both ends. The front looks modern with a handlebar-mounted LED headlamp, with sleek-looking vertical LED daytime running lamps in the middle and compact LED turn indicators on either side of the compact apron. The chrome finish for the rearview mirrors and satin silver touches for the handlebar levers, apron and side panels further make the Okhi-90 feel premium.

The Ola S1 Pro, on the other hand, looks cutesy and more futuristic in comparison. The compact dual projector headlamps with daytime running LEDs, LED turn indicators and LED tail lamps, along with curved front apron and side panel designs, give the S1 Pro a very nice look. Both the scooters have TFT screens for the instrument console compatible with Bluetooth, but the unit in the S1 Pro takes the cake with a touch-operated system and configurable display modes.

Both the scooters come with a few fancy features like a dedicated mobile application with connectivity features and keyless ignition. The S1 Pro, in addition, also offers a few other additional features like reverse mode, cruise control, built-in speakers for voice alerts.

 Verdict

While the Okinawa Okhi-90 offers some pluses like those bigger wheels and tyres which aid in better handling and a flat floorboard, the list of advantages in the Ola S1 Pro is longer. The S1 Pro has a more powerful motor, a bigger battery that offers a longer range and a much longer list of youthful features, which will appeal to the younger set of buyers more. Here, the S1 Pro, despite carrying more premium pricing, feels like a more aspirational product.

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