The Ather 450X is amongst the most popular electric scooters in India, thanks to its wide availability, smart features and unparalleled performance. But as the company continues to expand, questions around its future offerings at lower price points continue to get more common.
In a conversation with ZigWheels, CEO Tarun Mehta revealed what Ather Energy’s future plans and areas of focus will be. He touched upon topics such as upcoming affordable scooters, new variants of the 450X and expansion plans.
The most interesting bit was the mention of a cheaper, sub-Rs 1 lakh electric scooter — which is a much more mainstream segment than the company’s existing offerings. Tarun believes that there is a market at each price point, and creating an affordable vehicle is no longer impossible, thanks to the new subsidies under the updated FAME II policy.
Sometime next year, we could see a cheaper Ather EV that will compete with the likes of the Ola Electric scooter, Simple One and others. However, he didn’t explicitly confirm or deny the development of this cheaper scooter.
For the uninitiated, the 450 platform is meant for Ather Energy’s performance-centric scooters. Its current flagship, the Ather 450X, continues to be the quickest scooter in its class with a 0-40 kmph acceleration in just 3.3 seconds. When asked about what he’d like to see in its follow-up, Tarun mentioned upgrades such as ABS, more effective regenerative braking, and a higher top speed that can be sustained for longer — essentially improve the handling and riding experience.
But before new products arrive, Ather Energy will wait and work on growing its presence in more cities across India to better understand the needs and preferences of consumers and ensure that the newer market segments are sustainable.
For now, the company will focus on making the Ather 450 Plus and Ather 450X available in more regions. They have a price of Rs 1,13,000 and Rs 1,32,00 respectively in New Delhi, with slightly different prices in other cities due to varying state subsidies.