Updated April 2nd, 2021 at 15:11 IST
Ola unveils first driverless flying electric car on April 1; takes people for a ride
Executives claim that Ola Air Pro is 100% electric and has an unlimited range as it has a self-charging “PuraCell battery”, which needs to be charged only once
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Bhavish Aggarwal, co-founder and CEO of Ola, Thursday, unveiled the world’s first fully autonomous flying car ‘Ola Air Pro’. The announcement took social media by storm as several people fell prey to the company’s on-point prank, marking April Fool’s Day. Yes, April Fool’s prank! This is not something that Ola has done for the first time as in 2019 the on-demand cab service company had announced Ola mobile toilet van on April Fool’s Day, which never saw the light of the day.
Excited to unveil the world’s first and only fully autonomous electric flying car. The Ola AirPro. Ab har family bharegi udaan. Test flights now at https://t.co/UbwKCwikg1 #OlaAirPro #TheFutureIsHere @Olacabs @OlaElectric pic.twitter.com/dy31ZS8FQ8
— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash)
Ola shared a concept video of its flying electric car on Twitter and also launched a website to make the prank look even more genuine. The video starts with Bhavish saying, “We wanted to revolutionize Urban mobility, forever” before he introduces the world’s first fully autonomous electric flying car “Ola Air Pro”. Bhavish says the project started with an idea in 2016, but the company failed in its first attempt, adding “I’m really excited to share with you today that we have done it”.
Say hello to the world’s first-ever fully autonomous, electric flying car. An urban commuter so advanced, the very first version of it good enough to be called ‘Pro’. This is the Ola AirPro.
— Ola (@Olacabs)
Test flights now at https://t.co/WVml822UYL#OlaAirPro #TheFutureIsHere pic.twitter.com/FHby1F89wp
How did Ola back its prank?
Apparent project managers go on to explain the features of the flying car further on in the video, including the technology they used to build the vehicle. Materials engineer Pooja Kaamkar explains how the car is made up of “Ola Alloy”, a combination of sustainably sourced titanium, carbon fiber, alumunium from fighter jets, F1 cars, and soft drink cans. Pooja says that the car is so lightweight that anyone could lift it with just one hand, however, she advised against it.
In the video, executives claim that Ola Air Pro is 100% electric and has an unlimited range because it has a self-charging “PuraCell battery”, which needs to be charged only once. The flying car doesn’t need a runway as it is powered by VTOL (vertical take off and landing) technology. Ola said the car is completely autonomous and there is no need for a license to drive or fly. Ola even asked people to visit their website and register for a test ride. Here's how netizens, including some famous personalities, reacted to the prank.
Let’s hope Ola’s electric scooters aren’t as dated as their April fools attempts.
— Ather Energy (@atherenergy)
Superb, can I open the windows while up there? I'd love some fresh air. Oh, and prime play too - bina music ke mazaa nahi aayega.
— Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhagat)
🤣 ...will wait for Ola AirPro Max Plus.
— Amit Paranjape (@aparanjape)
Nice #AprilFoolsDay joke. Last year it was womens mobile toilets to be used during parties. This year you are flying above the clouds. Good attempt. How much time and resources do you waste in such jokes. Ultimately investors money, not yours right?
— Sachin Nachnani (@sachinnachnani)
Looks interesting but at this stage looks to me more a prototype than a commercially viable alternative ; but it does hold future i guess . I am sure other serious players like @TataMotors will soon chip in.
— Devasis Sarangi (@devasissarangi)
Launching an over-ambitious ad on April 1... pic.twitter.com/gtjOMD3Nrh
— LogicIndia (@india_logic)
Ola : let's make fool on aprilfool pic.twitter.com/c2w19o13cb
— Jethiya (@imyogisingh)
(Image Credit: Twitter/BhavishAggarwal)
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Published April 2nd, 2021 at 15:11 IST