Ather working on more affordable, sub-Rs 1 lakh electric scooter?

By India Today Auto DeskAther Energy, which currently sells the 450 Plus electric scooter and the more advanced 450X electric scooter, seems to be working on a more affordable, sub-Rs 1 lakh electric scooter.

The Ather 450 Plus is priced at Rs 1,18,895. The Ather 450X costs Rs 1,41,905. Both are effective prices in New Delhi and include FAME II and state subsidies, Ather Dot/portable charger and a performance upgrade.

A spy image of Ather’s new electric scooter is doing rounds on the internet and it could possibly be of the sub-Rs 1 lakh model.

While the 450 Plus uses a 5.4kW/22Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor mated to a 3.7kWh lithium-ion battery, the 450X gets a 6.2kW/26Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor paired with a 3.7kWh lithium-ion battery.

The 450 Plus has a true range between 60km and 85km, while the 450X has it between 65km and 105km.

Although the relatively affordable Ather electric scooter could see significant variations in terms of specifications, we do not expect it to enter the market very soon.

This is because the company does a lot of R&D and road tests before coming out with any new product. Hence, the cases of Ather electric scooters malfunctioning are relatively lower. We are pretty sure that until and unless the product meets the highest quality standards, Ather will not launch it.

In 2022, the company sold 59,413 units, registering a growth of 224% y-o-y. It commenced 2023 on a very strong note with sales rising 329% y-o-y at 12,149 units.

Rival company Ola recently launched its entry-level S1 Air electric scooter. Depending on the battery pack, the S1 Air costs between Rs 85,000 and Rs 1.10 lakh (with subsidies included).