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The upcoming Ather electric scooter with a price tag below Rs. 1 lakh could change the game, provided the Ola Scooter costs more

Ather Energy’s upcoming electric scooter could come with a sub-Rs. 1 lakh price tag. CEO of the Bengaluru-based EV firm, Tarun Mehta, has recently conceded that Ather sees a market in the segment below Rs. 1 lakh.

While he did not confirm the fact that the company is working on such a vehicle, crucially, the Ather chief did not deny it either, but simply said, “I think there’s a market at every price point.”

But, Mehta did explain that he does not “want to basically get into price wars” and added that he does not think “it makes sense to set the market up with a price point that you can’t long-term defend or build a business on.”

Thus, it is expected that Ather will launch a new electric scooter with an asking price that undercuts Rs. 1 lakh by next year. This new scooter will be the most affordable product from the EV maker to date.

Currently, the firm sells its 450 Plus scooter for Rs. 1.13 lakhs and its flagship 450X at Rs. 1.32 lakhs in Delhi (prices are ex-showroom). Both have seen a price reduction recently due to the revised Fame 2 norms.

While the basic price of both the 450 Plus and 450X are the same at Rs. 1.71 lakhs, the latter gets a performance upgrade that costs Rs. 19,010/-. Add the Fame 2 subsidy of Rs. 43,500/- and the Delhi government’s incentive of Rs. 14,500/-, we arrive at the final figure.

Interestingly, the scooters cost even less in Ahmedabad thanks to Gujarat government’s Rs. 20,000/- direct-to-consumer incentive.

In order to to get the upcoming electric scooter price tag below Rs. 1 lakh, Ather will have to bring the ex-showroom price of the EV (excluding subsidies) to under Rs. 1.50 lakhs.

The Ather CEO also revealed that he expects Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms (which will be put into effect come 1st April, 2022), to further increase the asking rates of internal combustion scooters.

Moreover, Tarun Mehta has said the upgrades developed for the 450X in the future will be focused on improving the EV’s performance. He wants to equip the scooter with a better regenerative braking system, enhanced ABS and make it go faster than it can at present.

Source

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Patent image of a new Ather Energy electric scooter, which looks bigger with different styling, has been uncovered.

The design patent shows that the upcoming product from the electric scooter manufacturer will sport a large flyscreen, a new headlight setup, small front fender and raised handlerbars.

It also sports simple, yet sharp, bodywork, a long flat seat (which seems to extend even after the bodywork ends) and a grab handle for the pillion.

The Ather electric scooter patent does not show the rear profile of the scooter which rides on alloy wheels. It will be offered with a front disc brake, while the rear brake could also be a disc, but the patent image is not clear enough to be able to determine that.

Expected to be based on the 450X, the scooter could sport the same 2.9 kWh battery pack, 6 kW (8 HP) electric motor making 26 Nm of torque and a real world range of 85 km.

Features such as riding modes, touchscreen display, Bluetooth-based music and call access, Google Maps, reverse assist, among others could well be offered with this new scooter from Ather.

If the new electric scooter is positioned above the 450X, it will cost more than Rs. 1.47 lakhs (ex-showroom, New Delhi) which Ather charges for the 450X.

Source – GaadiWaadi.com

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Ather Energy has introduced a buyback programme for the 450X electric scooter and has also reduced the price of the 450 Plus.

Named “Assured Buyback”, customers will be offered, under the programme, an assured buyback of Rs. 85,000/- for the Ather 450X and Rs. 75,000/- for 450 Plus at the end of three years of their ownership of the EV.

Apart from the buyback programme, Ather has also improved its purchase enabling solutions. The lease model for the 450X scooter that was initiated in Bengaluru and Chennai will now be extended across all cities it has presence in.

The firm says, the lease model allows customers to access a fully-loaded 450X at a lower price point and at a nominal monthly fee. Further, exclusively for customers in Bengaluru, the firm has introduced an ICE two-wheeler exchange programme.

Furthermore, the retail cost of the 450 Plus scooter has been revised downwards by Rs. 9000/-. Now, the scooter can be purchased at Rs. 1,39,990/- (ex-showroom).

Finally, the firm has stated that charging at its Ather Grid will be free until March 2021 and added that it has also revised its subscription plans. Now, there are four independent packs that customers can choose based on their usage.

These include Ather Connect Lite, Ather Connect Pro, Ather Service Lite and Ather Service Pro and the plans can be availed of from Rs. 125/- per month, says the EV maker.

All these changes, including the Ather 450X buyback programme, are expected to increase the electric vehicle firm’s sales over the coming months.

Ather 450X Buyback Programme

• Ather has announced “Assured Buyback” programme
• The EV, after three years of usage, will be taken for Rs. 85,000/-
• Price of the 450 Plus scooter is now Rs. 1,39,990/- (ex-showroom)

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Ather has revealed the 450X Collector’s Edition model, a limited-run variant named Series1, that will only be provided to customers who pre-ordered the electric scooter ahead of its 28th January 2020 unveil.

So what’s new?

With the Collector’s Edition of the 450X, Ather has come up with a new gloss black paint finish along with red striping seen throughout the scooter.

However, the biggest change is with the body panels that are translucent, staying true to the “Inside Out” theme that Ather had taken with the design of the model.

Made from polycarbonate, the panels allow the onlooker to see the innards of the scooter like the rear trellis cast aluminium structure. Do not worry, the stowage space remains opaque.

Also, the exposed part of the frame and the rear monoshock are painted red, while the wheel decals have been revised. Furthermore, Ather says the scooter will sport custom UI to go along with the theme of the EV.

Deliveries from November

When Series1 deliveries begin by November, owners will get the vehicle only with normal body panels. However, by May 2021 Ather promises that it will be ready with the translucent panels and it will retrofit the new replacements to Series1 models.

The firm expects to build a few thousand 450X Collector’s Edition Series1 vehicles before ending the production run by 31st March 2020. Customers who are set to get the Ather 450X Collector’s Edition will also be provided one year of free servicing.

Features, performance & pricing

These changes aside, all the features offered on the 450X come as standard on the Series1. Thus, the 7-inch touchscreen, OTA software updates, navigation, guide-me-home lights, Bluetooth connectivity, among others, are all present.

Performance-wise, the Series1 gets a 6 kW motor that puts out 26 Nm, drawing power from the 2.9 kWh lithium-ion battery. Four riding modes – Eco, Ride, Sport and Warp, 0-40 km/hr sprint time of 3.3 seconds, top speed of 80 km/hr and 85 km range all stay the same as the regular 450X.

Pricing of the limited edition model match that of the 450X and thus it will cost Rs. 1.49 lakhs for the Plus trim and Rs. 1.59 lakhs for the Pro variant (both prices ex-showroom, Bengaluru).

Ather 450X Collector’s Edition

• Ather has unveiled the 450X Collector’s Edition named Series1
• Named the Series1 the EV gets new paint scheme and translucent panels
• To be limited to a few thousand units, production to end 31st March 2021

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Ather has shelved its plans for electric motorcycle launch due to the disruption caused by COVID-19. The Indian electric scooter maker has announced that they are not looking at an electric motorcycle currently and new product development has been pushed off for now.

Even their plan to expand their network across the country is delayed. According to their mid-term strategy, their market expansion is very crucial right now.

They commenced their sales in 2017 from Bengaluru and since then they have expanded their presence to Chennai in 2019. They plan to enter a lot more cities but the pandemic has delayed their network expansion.

Ather is planning to add eight new cities including Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Coimbatore, Kolkata and Ahmedabad by FY21. There is a delay of 3-4 months though.

For now they will be focusing on their expansion and their existing lineup. They had earlier scheduled the launch of an electric motorcycle after introducing three electric scooters in the market.

The electric motorcycle segment has very limited contenders, the most prominent one is Revolt as of now. However, there are a lot of manufacturers and start-ups preparing to enter the segment in the next 1-3 years.

The flagship Ather 450X deliveries will commence by November starting from Bengaluru followed by Chennai. Test rides will begin by October.

Ather Electric Motorcycle Launch

• Due to the pandemic disruption, Ather shelves electric motorcycle plan
• Even their network expansion plan has got delayed due to the pandemic
• To focus on existing lineup and setting up new plant

Source – MoneyControl.com

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Ather 450X accessories to include TPMS and smart helmet within this financial year.

The Bengaluru-based electric vehicle maker working fast and hard to introduce the said accessories for its electric scooter.

The Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) will be launched around October this year and the smart helmet will be launched within the financial year.

One of Ather Energy’s founders has revealed the news and also added that TPMS will be introduced as an accessory for the 450X. The smart helmet will use the connected tech present on the Ather 450X.

Ather Energy has introduced a number of features ever since it entered the market. The firm is currently looking to retrofit 3G to 4G for its first generation of smart scooters.

The company introduced Over-The-Air (OTA) updates in the Indian market through which it can constantly update and unlock more features in its EVs. It rolled out its seventh OTA update only recently.

Ather has partnered with ride-sharing platform Bounce and tied up with CredR to launch a 2-wheeler exchange scheme, all to further expand its reach.

Ather 450X was launched with a starting price of Rs. 1.35 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the Plus variant, while the Pro is priced at Rs. 1.45 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). This pricing is for the non-subscription plan.

The electric scooter is available in two subscription plans – Rs. 1699/- (Plus) and Rs. 1999/- (Pro), opting for which will reduce the price to Rs. 85,000/- (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Powered by a 6kW PMSM motor with a new 2.9 kWh lithium ion battery, the scooter comes with 6 KW peak power and 26 Nm of torque. The top speed of the 450X is 80 km/hr and it has a claimed riding range of 116 km.

Ather 450X Accessories

• Ather Energy to launch TPMS and smart helmet this financial year
• TPMS to be launched by October as an accessory
• EV maker keeps pushing for better user experience

Source – Autocar Professional

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Bengaluru-based electric 2-wheeler startup Ather Energy has announced a ‘Collector’s Edition’ model of the 450X priced exactly the same as the standard 450X i.e Rs. 1.49 lakh or Rs. 1.59 lakh depending on the monthly subscription. The electric scooter is only available to customers who’ve pre-booked the scooter before 28th January 2020 and it will be built on a made-to-order basis.

The bodywork of the Ather 450X Collector’s Edition follows an ‘inside-out’ design hinting that maybe the internals of the scooter will be made visible, perhaps something like a clear/translucent design.

The Ather 450X Collector’s Edition continues to be powered by the same 6 kW/26 Nm electric motor which gets its energy from a 2.9 kWh lithium-ion battery. It also gets the same set of riding modes – Eco, Ride, Sport and a high-performance ‘Warp’ mode. The company claims a 0-40 km/h sprint time of just 3.3 seconds on the Ather 450X.

In terms of features, it gets a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, 4G support via an e-SIM, onboard diagnostics, over-the-air updates, guide-me-home lights, Bluetooth connectivity, etc just like the standard model.

Ather 450X Collector’s Edition Price

– The Ather 450X Collector’s Edition is available at a starting price of Rs. 1.49 lakhs
– Only available to customers who’ve pre-booked the scooter before 28th January 2020
– Gets the same features as the standard model

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Clearing rumors about an upcoming affordable electric scooter, Ather has announced that it will not offer a new 2-wheeler for at least 2 years. Recently, the company has offered the 450X in the market and aims to shift focus on expansion and product refinement. The brand will work on software updates and bug removal.

Ather was originally planning to offer an affordable e-scooter but realised that it needs the development of a new platform from scratch as simply stripping some features and performance from the existing platform wouldn’t save much.

Ather hopes to sell 30,000 units in 2020 and 1,00,000 units in 2021. These numbers will be facilitated by the company’s upcoming plant in Hosur, which should be ready by the end of this year. Once Ather manages to reach these numbers, it will focus on developing a low-cost product or an electric motorcycle.

New Ather Platform

– Ather has announced that it will not offer a new 2-wheeler for at least 2 years
– Recently, the company has offered the 450X in the market
– Needs to develop a new platform to offer an affordable e-scooter

Source – AutocarIndia.com

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Ather 450X has been launched with a starting price of Rs. 1.35 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the Plus variant while the Pro is priced at Rs. 1.45 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). This pricing is for the non-subscription plan.

The electric scooter is available in two subscription plans – Rs. 1699/- (Plus) and Rs. 1999/- (Pro). If you opt for subscription plan, the price of the Ather 450X is Rs. 85,000/- (ex-showroom, Delhi).

It is available in grey, green and white colour options. Powered by a 6kW PMSM motor with a new 2.9 kWh lithium ion battery. It comes with 6 kw of peak power and 26 Nm of torque while the top speed is 80 km/hr. There are 4 riding modes – Eco, Ride, Sport and new high performance mode Warp mode. It can go from 0 to 40 km/hr in just 3.3 seconds.

It comes with a claimed riding range of 116 km while the real life range is 85 km. The fast charging can be done with a rate of 1.5 km per minute.

It comes with 4G SIM card, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. These features help riders to manage phone calls and music on the new 7-inch touchscreen which comes with Snapdragon Quad Core processor. It offers Android Open Source with map navigation, on-board diagnostics, over-the-air updates, auto indicator off and guide-me-home lights.

Some of the app features include Ride Stats, Push Navigation, Live Location and Vehicle State Tracking, Theft/Tow detection, Music Control, Call Control, Welcome Lights, Voice Assistant, etc. It also comes with smart accessories support like Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and Smart Helmet.

Ather 450X Price

– It is priced at Rs. 1.35 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the Plus variant
– Priced at Rs. 1.45 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) for the Pro variant
– Also comes with monthly subscription plan of Rs. 1699/- (Plus) and Rs. 1999/- (Pro)
– If you opt for the monthly subscription plan, the price is Rs. 85,000/- (ex-showroom, Delhi)

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Ather Energy is a Hero MotoCorp backed company that launched its first product in 2018. They introduced Ather 340 and 450 electric scooters in the Indian market last year priced from Rs. 1.09 lakhs (ex-showroom). Eventually the Ather 340 was discontinued.

With the growing popularity amongst buyers, Ather Energy is considering to introduce new products. The EV maker will soon come up with a new range of more affordable scooters.

After the introduction of cheaper electric scooters, the company plans to launch their first electric motorcycle. It is expected to be launched in the next 3-4 years.

Ather products are currently available in Bengaluru and Chennai. They plan to expand their network across 30-35 cities in the near future. Out of which, 10-11 cities will be added in 2020.

The company currently has a production capacity of 35,000-40,000 units a year. They are planning to ramp up the production to 5,00,000 units a year by next year setting up a new factory.

Ather Energy aims to setup charging stations every 2 km in cities. In Bengaluru, every 4 kms there is a charging station which they eventually plan to get down to 3 kms and then 2 kms.

Ather Electric Motorcycle

– Ather is considering to introduce electric bike in 3-4 years
– After the launch of cheaper scooters, they will launch the bike
– The EV maker is setting up a new factory

Source – MoneyControl.com

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Ather Energy has decided to discontinue its entry-level electric scooter, the 340 due to low demand. The company let out a formal statement on its various social media channels after withdrawing the product from the official website as well. Ather explains that its flagship model, the 450 garnered way more orders, as much as 99% despite being a tad more expensive.

However, Ather put up a brave face and mentioned that it was glad people preferred the superior experience. It can now just focus on the 450 and its other future products.

After obtaining the GST relaxation in August 2019, the Ather 340 was priced at Rs. 1.04 lakhs while the Ather 450 was pegged at Rs. 1.13 lakhs (all prices, on-road Bangalore.)

The Ather 450 is powered by a 5 kW brushless DC motor that produces 7.24 PS of power along with 20.5 Nm of torque. The same motor offered 5.9 PS and 20 Nm on the 340. Top speed for the 340 was rated at 72 km/hr and the electric scooter claimed a 0-40 km/hr time of 5.1 seconds. Meanwhile, the 450 reaches 40 km/hr mark in 3.9 seconds with a rated top speed of 80 km/hr. On a single charge, the range is claimed to be 60 kms in the performance mode and 75 kms in the Eco mode. The company also offers a fast-charging system that can charge up to 80% of the battery in just one hour.

Ather 340 Discontinued

– Ather’s entry-level electric scooter discontinued due to low demand
– The Ather 450 is priced at Rs. 1,13,715/- (on-road, Bangalore)
– Powered by a 5 kW brushless DC motor producing 7.24 PS and 20.5 Nm

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Ather 450 Review

Bike Tested: Ather 450; Road Test No. 956; Test Location: Bangalore

Price OTR Bangalore: Rs. 1,24,750/-

The world is moving to electric and electric is more powerful and fun than gasoline

Back in the year 2010, my first encounter with a scooter was with an electric one. While the first petrol-powered vehicle I got after that was again a scooter. Now, I got a chance to sample the Ather 450 which, as it turns out, provides the best of both worlds. Ather Energy flew me to Bangalore, the city where they have started with the production of the first performance-oriented electric scooter made completely in India. It was one fun morning, I would say, with the scooter on the busy streets of Bangalore city.

Motor Quest: Ather Energy, started the whole idea around an electric scooter in the form of the S340 in 2013. It came up with the scooter in its finest form in 2016. However, with a few implications and slight changes, Ather was able to achieve a massive difference. This year, Ather Energy has finally launched their first two products, the Ather 340 and the Ather 450, in the market.

Styling – Looking at the Ather 450, there’s only one word that comes to mind. It’s neat. The whole design comes across as very clean inside out. At first, they showed us the stripped down version of the scooter. Standing next to it was the one that came out of the production line. The panels in the 450 are designed in a seamless manner with an effective ram-air design for cooling the battery while still appearing to be edgy and sharp. The LED headlight and the turn indicators blend in with the front end nicely while the LED strip for the taillight continues along the body clues ending with the turn indicators at the rear. A small Ather logo on the side panel looks cool too.

Instrument Cluster and Switchgear – A 7-inch intelligent touchscreen dashboard does the job on the Ather 450. It’s so advanced that it measures and stores the riding nature of the rider and accordingly predicts the range! On the home screen, you can switch between the ECO or normal mode with just a tap. It also comes with integrated maps powered by Google. This means that you can easily store your home location, work location and navigate to places just by typing in. It also features OTA (over the air) update functionality for future updates and Ather network connectivity.

The system also monitors the scooter continuously to check for any errors and issues in the vehicle. The MyAther app connects the scooter so that one can check the battery/charging status on the phone itself. You can also push the location you want to navigate to and the console will start navigation with just a click on the go. The switchgear feels a little cheap and isn’t very ergonomic to reach with normal-sized hands. It gets an engine kill switch which shuts the motor along with a toggle switch on the right that is used to accept and reject inputs without using the touchscreen.

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The 2018 Ather 340 and 450 electric scooters have been launched in India. The 340 is priced at Rs. 1.09 lakhs while the range-topping 450 costs Rs. 1.24 lakhs (both prices, on-road, Bengaluru). The 340 and the 450 are the first electric scooters from Ather and Bengaluru will be the first city to get them. Bookings for the e-scooters have commenced across Ather dealerships in Bengaluru. The Ather 340 gets a charging cable and standard installation while the more expensive 450 also comes with a home charging point in addition to the above.

The EV gets an edgy design and looks sharp and sleek. There are minimalistic graphics and decals across the scooter which make it look pleasing. The front apron houses the smart LED headlight while the indicators are mounted on the handlebar. The short front fender is slightly higher set which makes the scooter look quirky. The rear gets an LED tail-light with integrated turn indicators. The EV rides on 12-inch 5-spoke alloy wheels.

One major USP of the duo is their Android-based touchscreen instrument console. Apart from the regular information like speedometer, odometer, trip meter, clock and average speed, the cluster also features a range indicator and navigation. The EV uses standard telescopic forks up front and a monoshock at the rear. Braking duties are performed via petal discs (with combined braking system) at either end. This is the first scooter in India to feature a rear-disc brake.

Powering the Ather 340 and 450 is a 5 kW brushless DC motor that produces 5.9 HP of power and 20 Nm of torque in the 340 and 7.24 HP of power along with 20.5 Nm of torque in the 450. Top speed for the 340 rated at 72 km/hr and the electric scooter claims a 0-40 km/hr time of 5.1 seconds. Meanwhile, the 450 reaches 40 km/hr mark in 3.9 seconds with a rated top speed of 80 km/hr. On a single charge, the range is claimed to be 60 kms in the performance mode and 75 kms in the Eco mode. The company also offers a fast charging system which can charge up to 80% of the battery in just one hour.

A 2.4 kWh battery pack is the source of energy which is dust and water proof. The battery pack gets an IP67 rating and is housed in the floorboard. The Ather 340 and 450 come with a quarterly or yearly subscription plan. The quarterly plan is priced at Rs. 2596/- while the annual subscription will set you back by Rs. 9912/- (both prices, including taxes). This subscription plan covers for most of the expenses incurred in running the scooter. When charging the scooter at home, the amount spent on charging will be reimbursed via a wallet every three months. If you’re charging it outside, the company pays to the hosts directly. So just plug in, charge and drive. The subscription also covers cost of service, maintenance and roadside assistance.

Ather 450 Price

– Ather launches 340 and 450 e-scooters in India
– Ather 340 priced at Rs. 1.09 lakhs while the Ather 450 costs Rs. 1.24 lakhs (both prices, on-road, Bengaluru)
– The battery pack and BLDC motor on the EVs are water & dust resistant
– The battery gets an IP67 rating

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