Ola Electric Bags Key Certification For Its 4680 Bharat Cell

Months after launching its in-house lithium-ion battery, 4680 Bharat Cell, Ola Electric has secured a certification from the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) for the 5.2 kWh configuration variant of the battery cell pack. 

In an exchange filing, the EV major said that it will start rolling out its vehicles powered by the cells. The 5.2 kWh battery pack is set to debut on the S1 Pro+ soon, making the  escooter the first EV to be powered by the in-house developed cell technology.

Ola Electric’s Bharat Cell has secured the certification under the AIS-156 Amendment 4, which specifies detailed testing requirements for EVs and their rechargeable electrical energy storage systems (REESS), including protection against over-charging, thermal runaway, short circuits, water ingress (IPX7), and electrical safety. 

The ARAI certification under AIS-156 Amendment 4, issued by the road transport and highways ministry in December 2023, ensures that the battery complies with the Indian safety norms and environmental standards for electric powertrains.

“With the ARAI certification of our 4680 Bharat Cell battery pack, we are ready to deliver our first vehicles powered by our own cells. This is a defining milestone in our mission to build India’s EV technology leadership and reduce reliance on global supply chains. Customers will soon be able to experience the enhanced range, performance and reliability that our homegrown cells bring to our scooters and motorcycles,” a company spokesperson said. 

Ola Electric’s plans to integrate its in-house developed cells with its escooters have been in the making for over a year. During its flagship event Ola Sankalp 2025 in August, CEO and founder Bhavish Aggarwal said the company will start rolling out EVs with Bharat Cell integration by late-2025.

The certification marks a critical milestone for the company. The battery pack is an area where Ola Electric, like a number of other Indian EV OEMs, has been dependent on Chinese and Korean imports. 

Earlier, the company had claimed that its lithium-ion cell packs have five times more energy (275 Wh/kg) than the 2170 form-factor cells which are currently being used extensively in automobile applications. 

“This is expected to significantly enhance range, performance, improve unit economics, and reduce dependence on global supply chains, especially as its upcoming Gigafactory scales production,” the company said in the filing today. 

Ola Electric has been actively doubling down on its cell manufacturing capabilities. Earlier this year, its board approved an additional infusion of INR 199 Cr in its battery manufacturing subsidiary Ola Cell Technologies (OCT) to support its business requirement. 

Besides, it also realigned the utilisation of its IPO funds in October to expand the R&D expenditure to INR 1,505 Cr. Now, the company is also looking to raise an additional INR 1,500 Cr via issuance of securities. 

Aggarwal stated earlier that the in-house developed battery pack integration is the “centrepiece” of Ola Electric’s roadmap to profitability. The integration of Bharat Cell with its EVs will lead to “a very sizable margin expansion”, he said. 

In order to increase the capacity utilisation of its battery manufacturing plant, Ola Electric recently forayed into the residential battery energy storage system (BESS) segment with the launch of Ola Shakti. Launched earlier this month, Ola Shakti will use the 4680 Bharat Cell battery technology platform produced at its Gigafactory in Tamil Nadu to provide energy solutions for homes, small businesses.

This comes even as Ola Electric continues to face rising losses. While the company is yet to disclose its financial performance for Q2 FY26, it plunged deeper into the red in the previous quarter. The company’s consolidated net loss widened 23% YoY to INR 428 Cr in Q1 FY26, while its operating revenue declined about 50% YoY to INR 828 Cr. 

Shares of Ola Electric were trading 0.10% higher at INR 51.80 at 15:00 IST.