Ola Electric is once again making headlines, but not for the reasons they’d hoped. The electric vehicle (EV) company, often hailed as a leader in India’s two-wheeler EV revolution, is facing mounting scrutiny after revealing that its February 2025 sales numbers included thousands of e-motorbikes and scooters that hadn’t even been delivered yet.
According to Ola’s official figures, the company sold over 25,000 units in February. Sounds impressive, right? Well, here’s the twist: more than 12,000 of those vehicles hadn’t actually hit the roads. These “sales” included 10,866 third-generation electric scooters and 1,395 of the new Roadster X motorcycles, neither of which had begun deliveries at the time.
Instead of actual registrations or road-ready vehicles, Ola counted “fully paid customer orders” as sales, even though those models were either just entering production or yet to be launched.
Wait, That’s Not a Sale… Yet
This reporting style raised red flags because there’s a big difference between collecting payments and delivering a vehicle. Government registration data for February showed only around 8,600 vehicles were officially registered, which doesn’t align with Ola’s bold 25,000-unit claim.
That discrepancy prompted the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to step in and ask Ola for a full explanation. In response, the company defended its numbers, saying most orders were paid in full and not just “token” pre-bookings. They insisted that customers had every intention of completing the purchases, and that these models were available for full payment in February.
Ola’s Side of the Story
In a letter sent to the ministry on March 21, Ola tried to clear the air. The company explained that the lag in official registration numbers was partly due to a vendor issue. Apparently, Ola had ended contracts with two service providers handling the registration process, causing a backlog in updating the government’s vehicle database.
According to Ola, this registration mismatch was only temporary and would be resolved shortly. They emphasized that demand for their new-gen scooters and bikes was “real,” and the sales figures represented actual customers putting down money—not inflated hype.
Why This Matters
This isn’t just a minor accounting issue. In a rapidly growing EV market, accurate and transparent reporting is critical—for customers, investors, and regulators alike. When a major player like Ola Electric blurs the line between bookings and deliveries, it raises questions about trust and credibility.
At a time when consumers are becoming more EV-savvy and government subsidies are under close watch, Ola’s reporting style could set a worrying precedent. If companies begin counting future deliveries as current sales, it could mislead investors and distort market performance.
Final Thoughts
Ola Electric’s February figures may have boosted headlines, but now the company is under the microscope. While they claim it’s all just a misunderstanding based on how they define “sales,” critics argue that transparency is key, especially in such a fast-evolving sector.
So, are Ola’s bold numbers just aggressive marketing, or a sign of a bigger issue in how EV success is measured?
Only time (and the Roadster X’s actual release) will tell.
