Bengaluru-based Ather Energy is launching its first ever indigenously developed two-wheeler in India, which is a smart electric scooter. Called the 340, the scooter boasts several innovative features and boasts higher equipment levels than any scooter in India. In fact, Ather Energy claims its offering is the most advanced scooter in the country. The scooter is meant to offer higher performance levels than conventional scooters along with excellent dynamics, not to mention smart connectivity. Ather Energy is also setting up its own charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, called the Ather Grid. As part of Ather Grid, charging stations will be set up public locations across various cities in India, starting with Bengaluru. Ather Energy's idea is to build a sustainable ecosystem that will help promote EVs like never before, as it feels electrification is a better technology than fossil fuel powered automobiles.
You can follow our live updates from the launch event right here.
Deliveries for the scooters will begin in the coming months. Stay tuned to OVERDRIVE for more updates on the Ather 340 and 450
Charging at the public charging stations is free for all Ather and non-Ather EV owners for the first six months
The charging stations will offer fast charging capability to Ather owners – up to 2.5kW
Ather Energy has already setup 17 charging stations across Bengaluru as part of Ather Grid and the numbers of chargers installed is expected to cross 30 by the end of this month
Claimed range for the 450 in performance mode is 60km, goes up to 75km in eco mode. Range as per Indian Driving Cycle is 107km
Ather Energy has developed and built the battery pack in-house, cells for the battery have been sourced from suppliers like Samsung, Panasonic etc
The battery pack and BLDC motor on the 340 and 450 are water and dust resistant with an IP67 rating for the battery
Pre-ordrs for both the bikes open at 12.20 pm today. The 340 is priced at Rs 1.09 lakhs OTR and the 450 is priced at Rs 1.24 lakh. Includes a charging cable, installation and one year subscription to Ather One.
The company is providing a maintenance and service plan for its scooters called Ather One at Rs700/month
Gradeability for the 450 at a constant 10kmph is 18 degrees, should help when exiting steeply inclined parking lots inside buildings, parking lots malls etc
Claimed 0-40kmph time for the 450 in performance mode is 3.9 seconds, 340’s claimed time is 5.1 second. Claimed top speed for the 450 is 80kmph, 340 can go up to 70kmph
Only difference between the two models are their power outputs – the 340 will offer 4.4kW of peak power while the 450 will offer up to 5.4kW of peak power
Ather Energy was formed with the idea of making battery packs for electric vehicles, before deciding to build an electric scooter
Ather Energy is the brain child of Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain and was started in 2013