New Delhi: Ola Electric’s CEO Bhavish Aggarwal has again been the center of attention on the social media platforms, this time by slamming Ather Energy just before the launch of its new electric scooter, Konarc. His post coincided with Ola’s launch of S1Z whose bigger question is, is Aggarwal only pushing his new scooter or is he purposively clearing him in controversy?
Bhavish Aggarwal had his sights set on the upcoming Ather Konarc with a post that was promoting the S1Z. He termed the new Ola scooter as “more than a metal body with fancy name” and said it is setting a new benchmark for the scooter industry. Ather’s timing of the announcement is hard to miss as it was prior to the launch of Konarc on 29th August.
As India’s electrification ramps, today we’re setting a new benchmark for the industry. More than just a metal body with a fancy name😉
Introducing S1Z!
46160 LFP Bharat Cell. 301 km IDC range.
Intro price of ₹79,999! Book here: https://t.co/DmB4UMXx7p
Deliveries in Dec.… pic.twitter.com/FjzSNrMSK1
— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) August 28, 2026
It’s no doubt that Ola’s S1Z is meant as a mass-market electric scooter. The base variant costs ₹79,999 and the premium one comes with a 5.1kWh battery for a price tag of ₹99,999. With the larger battery size, Ola guarantees a range of 301 km on IDC. The scooter is also powered with the company’s patented battery technology Bharat Cell LFP battery technology. The deliveries of the smaller battery version will start from December and the larger battery version will follow at some point later.
It’s Aggarwal’s comments that have caused the buzz, however. He has been known to be a provocative and direct competitor, and has been the target of attention in his social media posts. This new move has thrust Ola and Ather right into the limelight at a crucial juncture for the two businesses.
Ather’s Konarc targets the family and mass market segment too, and is a major expansion for the company. Ather has turned its attention to the scooter after previously building on more of a premium electric scooter platform and the EL represents a change in that. Now the company has launched the Konarc at a price of ₹99,999, which is the most cost affordable electric scooter of the company.
Is Bhavish Aggarwal Trying to Get Attention?
No word of exaggeration can be used in relation to Aggarwal’s pursuit of fame.There’s no exaggeration when it comes to how much Aggarwal wants Fame. The S1Z launch itself is relevant to Ola and when compared with Ather, there is an indication of the value of the S1 and the promised range.
But, it’s certainly a sure-fire method to stir up social media discussion if you make a mention of a competitor’s product just prior to its launch. With so many brands fighting for attention in the EV space, and sales, controversy can be a boon for publicity.
