Ola Electric plans to lay off about 10 per cent of its engineers or about 200 personnel as part of a "restructuring" exercise, sources close to the company suggest. The electric manufacturer currently employs about 2,000 engineers and the restructuring process is part of the company's efforts to centralise operations. In a statement, Ola Electric said that it "is undertaking a restructuring exercise to minimise redundancy and build a strong lateral structure that strengthens relevant roles and functions." To give full context, the restructuring exercise will also see Ola hire about 5,000 new engineers over the next 18 months.
Also Read: Ola Electric To Roll Out MoveOS 3 By Diwali
Ola Electric is expanding its business that includes electric cars, battery cell R&D and manufacturing
Ola Electric says it has been "increasing its focus on non-software engineering domains with a clear focus on building engineering and R&D capabilities across - vehicle, cell, battery, manufacturing and automation, autonomous engineering streams and others."
The restructuring comes at a time when Ola is aiming to be a holistic electric mobility solutions provider with a two-wheeler, four-wheeler, battery cell R&D and manufacturing departments. The company already retails the Ola S1 and S1 Pro electric scooters and has already teased its first electric car which will arrive in 2024.
Ola Electric further said that the company "has been built on a strong foundation of global talent and a strong leadership bench strength. Ola Electric's ambitions are gathering pace with the company making an influx of hirings for roles in vehicle engineering, sourcing, product management and data science." The company is reimagining its ambitious Futurefactory in Tamil Nadu which will diversify itself from just a two-wheeler manufacturing facility. Instead, the company now plans to build one million cars, 10 million two-wheelers and 100 GWh of cells in a year. The manufacturer says it will be the largest EV ecosystem of its kind globally.
Also Read: Ola Says 10,000 S1 E-Scooters Sold In One Day
Ola has been championing its EV program and that also meant consolidating its effort across different businesses in the past year. The company shut down its used car business - Ola Cars - and doorstep delivery - Ola Dash - recently. The focus then remains on the EV segment, while the app-based cab service remains its key business.
While its newer products are still some time away, Ola Electric is planning significant upgrades for S1 and S1 Pro electric scooter owners around the festive season. The company has already announced plans to introduce the Move OS3 update around Diwali this year for the S1 and S1 Pro, while the company will be working on bringing new accessories for customers around the same period.
Interestingly, the company has also announced its plans to open 200 experience centres across the country by the end of FY2023, 20 of which are already operational. The move comes after Ola famously chose to shun the traditional brick and mortar set-up to retail its electric scooters when it began operations last year. That said, carandbike understands that the new experience centres will work as brand builders with customers getting a better understanding of the scooter and its functions. The booking and delivery process will continue to remain online via the company's mobile app and website.
