Ola Electric has caught the eye of a big storm which has caused a big stir in the Indian automotive industry. The company has been called out for reporting highly inflated sales numbers for the month of February 2025. Despite Ola coming out with a very elaborate response, the controversy regarding inflated sales figures refused to die down anytime soon.
A recent Bloomberg report claimed that Ola Electric fudged sales figures by adding volume of models which are yet to reach dealerships. In a March 21 letter to India’s Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ola disclosed that its “confirmed orders” for February included 10,866 bookings for third-generation e-scooters although deliveries of the same commenced only in March.
90% orders fully paid: Ola Electric
Now, Ola Electric has issued an official clarification on the entire fiasco. The statement by the Bhavish Aggarwal-led company states that the reported figures were based on fully paid confirmed orders, not just bookings. A temporary disruption in the Vahan portal data was due to an internal process shift.
The company further clarified that 90% of orders were fully paid, including for new models like Gen 3 and Roadster X, and that revenue is recognized only after registration and delivery. Ola Electric urged all stakeholders, including media platforms, to avoid spreading misinformation and reaffirmed confidence in its direct-to-consumer model. Ola Electric insists that the sales figures for February 2025 represent genuine customer demand backed by financial commitment, not token-amount bookings.
In February this year, Ola reported sales of “more than 25,000 units”, whereas the Vahaan portal— government’s vehicle registration data— showed only 8,600 units. While Ola attributed some delays to vendor renegotiations, the significant gap led the ministry to seek further explanation.
While Ola attributed some delays to vendor renegotiations, the significant gap led the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to seek further explanation. We expect more developments in this matter in coming days with Ola refusing to bow down and take a bullet. Unlike other OEMs, Ola Electric has adopted a unique direct-to-consumer sales model where the company handles the sales as well as registration of its scooters with help of external vendors.