Ola Electric invites journalists for S1X ride: Cancels event after someone leaked new scooter pictures

In an unexpected turn of events, Ola Electric has canceled the media ride intended for journalists who were invited to experience a pre-launch preview of their upcoming budget-friendly electric scooter, the S1X. This abrupt decision occurred just hours before the scheduled presentation of the new scooter by Ola Electric.

 

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Positioned below the recently introduced S1 Air, the new Ola S1X was set to be unveiled alongside the S1 Air during a dedicated event. Unfortunately, a leaked preview image of the Ola S1X, which was intended to remain confidential until the official public unveiling, circulated on social media platforms.

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The leaked image depicted a presentation ceremony where the upcoming Ola S1X silhouette was positioned alongside the S1 Pro and S1 Air. In response to the viral leak, Ola Electric promptly canceled the ongoing event, including the planned first ride experiences of both the Ola S1 Air and the upcoming S1X.

Subsequently, Bhavish Aggarwal, the CEO of Ola Electric, released an official statement addressing the issue. In his Twitter post, Bhavish expressed concerns about maintaining the event’s confidentiality, emphasizing that information about the S1X was meant to remain confidential until its official announcement on August 15th.

Bhavish questioned the ethics of journalists

But how did Bhavish Aggarwal conclude that a journalist leaked the picture?

These images were part of an auto media event we held today and content from this event was supposed to be embargoed and confidential.

Auto media does their own credibility a massive disservice when they sneakily take photos at a confidential event. Breaks the trust the brand… pic.twitter.com/IeNIrgNyr5

— Bhavish Aggarwal (@bhash) August 7, 2023

Bhavish Aggarwal’s statement also raised questions about the ethical standards and credibility of the automotive media. He deemed the premature leaking of product information prior to an official announcement as unacceptable and stated that such incidents should not occur within a mature ecosystem where confidential information is guarded until its public unveiling.

Concluding his statement, Bhavish Aggarwal announced a new approach for future media rides of Ola Electric products. He revealed that these events would only be organized after the official product launch, ensuring that journalists experience the vehicles once they have been introduced to the customers and the general public.

This official response has elicited mixed reactions from the online community. While some expressed agreement with Bhavish Aggarwal’s emphasis on confidentiality, others suggested that a more measured response could have been taken. While the breach of confidential information is regrettable, canceling the journalist event without prior notice might not have been the most optimal course of action. Perhaps addressing the responsible party or publication responsible for the leak could have been a more constructive approach.

But the question remains: How is Bhavish Aggarwal so sure that a journalist leaked the picture? It could have been anyone! 

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