Ola CEO says self-driving scooter is ‘no joke’, promises future products with new tech

You might have heard a lot about self-driving cars. But what about scooters? Bhavish Aggarwal, CEO of Ola, clarified through a tweet that their self-driving electric scooter, named Ola Solo, which was initially thought to be an April Fool's joke, is indeed a real project under development. The announcement, made via a viral video that led to widespread debate about its authenticity, has been confirmed by Aggarwal to showcase actual technology being prototyped by the company.

Clarification on Ola Solo

Aggarwal's tweet explicitly states, "Not just an April fools joke!" revealing that the technology featured in the video, despite being presented with a humorous intent, represents genuine engineering advancements. The CEO emphasized that the engineering teams at Ola are actively working on autonomous and self-balancing technologies for two-wheelers, indicating a serious investment in the future of mobility.

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

He said, “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. “

Behind the Scenes of Ola Solo

The project, Ola Solo, is described as a glimpse into the potential future of transportation, focusing on autonomy and innovation in two-wheeler technology. According to Aggarwal, the development of such technology is a testament to the capabilities of Ola's engineering team, and prototypes are already in existence.

Aggarwal further added, “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.”

On April 1 Ola shared a video announcing the launch of Ola Solo. 

Promised you a new product and here it is!

Presenting ‘Ola Solo - India's first autonomous electric scooter.’ Solo is a fully autonomous, AI enabled and traffic smart scooter. Hail a ride or drive your own Solo. We will disrupt ride hailing and local commerce!

Another feat of… pic.twitter.com/QbCkvOhhZV

— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) April 1, 2024